16 Kauai cesspools slated to be closed
LIHUE, Kauai— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to close 16 large capacity cesspools on Kauai as part of an ongoing effort to protect Hawaii’s water resources.
The agency will close cesspools operated by two Kauai companies and penalize one of the firms.
The state Department of Health estimates there are 90,000 cesspools in the state, which passed legislation in 2017 requiring replacement of the cesspools by 2050.
The Kauai Beach Resort Association agreed to pay more than $55,000 after EPA inspectors found restrooms at the Nukolii Beach Park Comfort Station discharging to a cesspool. The association is expected to close the cesspool by Jan. 31, 2021.
EPA officials also found 15 large capacity cesspools on Kauai in 2019 connected to the Hale Kupuna Elderly Housing Complex in Omao.
Complex owner Kauai Housing Development Corporation agreed to close the cesspools by the end of 2022. They will be replaced with a state-approved wastewater treatment system, the company said.
The EPA banned large capacity cesspools in 2005 under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Since then more than 3,600 large capacity cesspools in Hawaii have been closed, although hundreds more remain in operation.
Thousands of small businesses tap $3B in aid
HONOLULU — Thousands of Hawaii small businesses tapped into a $3 billion allotment of federal coronavirus relief funding.
U.S. Small Business Administration data shows 23,786 Hawaii businesses received $2.46 billion from the agency’s Paycheck Protection Program as of Friday.
The Small Business Administration also provided $542 million in loans for 8,884 Hawaii businesses from its economic disaster assistance program. The assistance program is funded by $91 billion approved for 1.33 million small businesses nationwide.
The paycheck protection loans were established to help businesses with fewer than 500 employees continue paying workers amid the economic fallout resulting from the pandemic.
The loans up to $10 million can be forgiven if a borrower spends at least 75% of proceeds to pay employees throughout eight weeks. The balance can be spent on rent, mortgage interest and utilities.
The amount of funds approved for Hawaii paycheck protection loans declined in recent weeks. The distribution through Friday was $68 million less than the $2.5 billion reported to have been approved through May 8.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has refused to disclose recipients of the loans, which are taxpayer-funded public subsidies. Some billion-dollar companies reportedly obtained loans.
As of Friday, $130 billion remained available to distribute.
