Dole Food Settles with EPA over Cesspools in Oahu

by | Mar 27, 2018

This article is included in these additional categories:

The EPA announced a settlement with Dole Food over the food company’s failure to close two large-capacity cesspools at its Puuiki Beach Park property on Oahu. Terms of the settlement require that Dole close the two cesspools and replace them with state-approved septic systems. In addition, Dole will pay a civil penalty of $145,000 for violating the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Cesspools collect and discharge waterborne pollutants like untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens can contaminate groundwater, streams and the ocean. In 2005, the federal government banned large-capacity cesspools.

The EPA’s acting regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Alexis Strauss, says that closing large cesspools is a key element of protecting Hawaii’s drinking water and coastal resources. She adds that the EPA will continue inspection and enforcement efforts until illegal cesspools are “a distant memory.”

Cesspools are used more widely in Hawaii than in any other state, even though 95% of all drinking water in Hawaii comes from groundwater sources. In the thirteen years more than 3,400 large-capacity cesspools have been closed statewide, many through voluntary compliance.

The private, 9-acre Puuiki Beach Park in Waialua is used by Dole employees for company gatherings and recreational activities. The Dole Food Co. is a producer of fruit and vegetables, focused primarily on pineapples at their Oahu plantation.

Dole says it has built its sustainability strategy on four pillars: water management, carbon footprint, soil conservation and packaging. Water management includes using water responsibly and efficiently. To this end, Dole has implemented water recycling systems and processes to reduce overall usage, the company says.

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This