Senator J. Kalani English
Chair, Energy and Environment Committee
State Capitol, Room 205
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-7225
Contact : Chris Martelles

PRESS RELEASE
April 27, 2004

Legislature Adopts Resolution on Lead Levels in Water

Urges Federal Fix to Upcountry Lead Problem

What do Washington D.C. and upcountry Maui both have in common besides lead levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safe amounts? Not much. While Washington D.C. has received monetary and political aid over the years to address the problems with their water supply, Maui County only recently began to receive limited recognition from federal officials about its water problems.

A new concurrent resolution adopted by both the Hawai'i State Senate and the House of Representatives urges continuing recognition and aid from the federal government in helping to improve water quality for Hawai'i residents. SCR 185 is poised for transmittal to the EPA, Hawaii's Congressional delegation, other county Board of Water officials, and urges the development and implementation of alternative rules under the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule that will have more flexibility, be based on more accurate science, and take the local needs and unique environmental factors of an area into account.

Introduced by Hawai'i State Senator J Kalani English, 6th District (Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i & Kaho'olawe) SCR 185 was crafted to address some of the shortcomings contained under the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule. The problem with the federal standard is that the required water additives to treat high lead levels are the alleged source of skin rashes, respiratory problems, headaches, nausea, and intestinal discomfort in upcountry residents. Senator English said, "I am concerned about the safety of these additives, and while it is not certain what causes the health ailments experienced by some upcountry Maui residents, there is enough of a correlation to suggest that further studies on these additives would be a prudent step."

To add insult to injury, these additives don't appear to be consistently reducing the lead levels in the lower and upper Kula water systems. Maui County water officials have experienced difficulty in meeting the EPA's limit of 15 parts per billion (ppb) lead content, despite following all of the prescribed federal methods for water treatment. Under the Lead and Copper Rule there is no specific mechanism for stopping the addition of corrosion control additives once they have begun, even where it is shown that they are not consistently effective in reducing lead levels below the EPA's action level of 15 ppb. Senator English said, "There are major shortcomings with the Lead and Copper Rule, the most urgent being the lack of flexibility in adjusting policy to fit local environmental conditions. The surface water that supplies most of the upcountry region is acidic and low in mineral content, conditions that encourage the leaching of lead from pipes. Additives that were supposed to mitigate this problem proved to be somewhat ineffective in certain water systems, and possibly detrimental to the health of our residents. My resolution urges the EPA to fix the various problems with the Lead and Copper Rule and make good on their commitment to provide safe water to the citizens of the United States."

SCR 185 was adopted by the Legislature on April 26, 2004 and can be accessed online at: www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/scr185_.htm

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