Environmental Indicators

The Environmental Planning Office (EPO) closed effective May 2, 2018. Due to federal EPA funding reductions, the office is no longer providing services. The information posted here will temporarily remain in place for public reference. For Standard Comments, please see the EPO Land Use Planning Review webpage or contact the appropriate Environmental Health Administration branches and offices directly using DOHEHALandUseContactList_20240827.pdf.

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The Environmental Planning Office (EPO) gathers data from the various DOH Environmental Health branches and offices. Key indicators are provided below. If you’d like to view additional data sets or historical information please contact us.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION (EMD):

Click on the following EMD branches to learn more.

Clear Air Branch (CAB)

Clean Water Branch (CWB)

*Table 1. Number of CWB Brown Water Advisories by Island (CY 2010-2016)**
Island	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Hawaii	1	2	0	0	1	2	4
Kauai	4	5	5	6	9	7	5
Maui	4	5	0	0	16	18	14
Oahu	3	5	1	8	4	18	15
TOTAL	12	17	6	14	30	45	38
*Source: Department of Health, Clean Water Branch, as of Aug. 24, 2016
Calendar Year (CY)

*Table 2. Number of Impaired Perennial Streams (2014)
Island***	Total Number of Streams in the State	Total Number of Impaired Streams for One or More Conventional Pollutant	Percentage of Total Impaired Streams	Island Percentage of Total Impaired Streams
Kauai	30	21	70%	23%
Oahu	50	43	86%	47%
Molokai	6	1	17%	1%
Lanai	—	—	—	—
Maui	48	11	23%	12%
Hawaii	35	16	46%	17%
State	169	92	54%	100%
Source: Department of Health, Clean Water Branch, 2014 Integrated Report
* Assessed, according to DOH CWB, means tested for any of the following: enterococci (a pathogen which negatively affects recreation), nitrogen, nitrates, phosphorus, turbidity, and/or other (including trash)
** Perennial means that the stream flows all year long
*** Kahoolawe and Niihau had no perennial streams assessed during the time period

Table 3. Water Quality at Selected Public Beaches: 2013 and 2014
Island and beach	Number of samples		Enterococci density *
Island and beach	2013	2014	2013	2014
Hawaii	995	700	12.6	14.3
Hilo Shoreline	263	253	15.1	16.4
Hilo Bay (Canoe Beach)	28	28	12.3	17.4
Honolii Cove (Ocean)	28	28	15.5	25.6
Kona Shoreline	732	447	12.6	13.2
Anaehoomalu Bay	85	53	10.8	11.5
Kahaluu Beach Park	85	54	12.3	17.8
Spencer Beach Park	18	8	19.6	22.8
Maui	1,062	790	** 12.3	12.4
Hukilau Hotel Shoreline	83	66	** 12.1	15.5
Kamaole Beach #1	91	69	** 11.8	10.7
Kihei (south)	90	70	12.6	11.4
Spreckelsville Beach	80	67	11.4	11.0
Wailea Beach	81	65	10.4	10.2
Oahu	185	917	11.9	12.0
Ala Moana Park (center)	20	53	10.7	12.5
Hanauma Bay	9	44	11.7	10.2
Kailua Beach Park	9	44	12.7	11.5
Kuhio Beach	19	52	15.9	16.7
Makaha Beach	(X)	28	(X)	10.0
Sunset Beach	(X)	29	(X)	15.3
Waimea Beach	(X)	44	(X)	11.9
Kauai	814	776	16.9	17.7
Hanapepe Salt Pond	76	75	11.4	11.6
Kalapaki Beach (middle)	75	75	16.5	17.5
Kekaha (Oomano Point)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)
Lydgate Park (wading pool)	74	75	12.0	14.1
Poipu Beach Pavilion	76	75	11.0	10.7
X Not applicable
* Geometric mean, number per 100 ml. The geometric mean standard for Enterococci density was 35 per 100 ml. in 2013 and 35 per 100 ml. in 2014.
** Revised from previous Data Book.
Source: Hawaii State Department of Health, Clean Water Branch, records.

Safe Drinking Water Branch (SDWB)

Wastewater Branch (WWB)

Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch (SHWB)

Table 1: Solid Waste Diversion for FY 2015 (in tons)
	Disposal	Diversion	Generation	Diversion Rate
Hawaii	179,033	6,5300**	244,333	26.7%
Maui	183,167	30,786*	213,952	14.4%
Oahu*	933,911	877,288	1,810,811	48.4%
Kauai	81,500	66,665	148,165	45.0%
STATE	1,377,611	1,040,039	2,417,261	43.0%
Source: Department of Health, Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch
https://health.hawaii.gov/shwb/files/2013/06/2016_OSWM_Annual_Report.pdf
*2014 calendar year data
** incomplete data

Table 2. Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
Calendar Year	Total Tanks	Active Tanks	Closed Tanks	Confirmed Releases	Clean-ups — Partial	Clean-ups — Future	Complete Clean-ups
2006	7,832	2,001	5,831	1,875	206	94	1,574
2007	7,916	1,895	6,021	1,909	192	86	1,631
2008	7,845	1,770	6,075	1,955	184	76	1,695
2009	7,873	1,701	6,172	1,989	154	80	1,755
2010	7,897	1,679	6,248	2,019	180	45	1,794
2011	7,904	1,639	6,265	2,037	142	35	1,860
2012	7,974	1,653	6,321	2,052	109	36	1,907
2013	7,990	1,657	6,333	2,053	109	37	1,907
2014	8,020	1,604	6,416	2,103	96	46	1,961

Table 3. Toxic Chemical Releases in 2014 and Hazardous Waste Generated, Shipped, and Received in 2014
Category			Unit
Number of TRI Facilities in Hawaii in 2014			34

Toxic chemical releases in 2014*			2,600, 000
	On-site releases		2,500,000
		Air emissions	1,500,000
		Water emissions	534,100
		Land emissions	408,500
	Off-site releases, transfers to disposal		162,100

Hazardous waste generators, shippers, and receivers 2011
	Number of generators		51
	Number of shippers		49
	Number of receivers		1

Hazardous waste generated, shipped, and received 2011**
	Generated		425,644
	Shipped		1,300
	Received		190
* In pounds
** In tons. Covers hazardous wastes regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 as amended.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, TRI Explorer Fact Sheet, Summary of TRI Information for Hawaii <https://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_factsheet_search.searchfactsheet> accessed June 12, 2015, United States Environmental Protectional Agency, The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: 2011 Edition <https://www.epa.gov/solidwaste/inforesources/data/biennialreport/index.htm>

Table 4. Deposit Beverage Container Redemption (DBC) Rate (FY 2006-2016)
*Year (FY)**	Units Sold (in millions)	Units Redeemed (in millions)	DBC Redemption Rate
2006	930	629	67.6%
2007	936	633	67.6%
2008	948	682	71.9%
2009	896	705	78.7%
2010	902	686	76.1%
2011	907	687	75.7%
2012	907	697	76.9%
2013	912	684	75.0%
2014	934	678	72.6%
2015	959	648	67.6%
2016	949	635	66.9%
2017 (YTD)	551	363	65.9% (Jul16-Feb17)
TOTAL	10,730	7,726	72.0%
Source: DOH, Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch *State Fiscal Year ending June 30

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DIVISION (EHSD):

Click on the following EHSD branches to learn more.

Sanitation (SAN)

*Table 1: Food Establishment Permitting & Plan Reviews (SFY 2011-15)**
Type	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Food Establishment (renewals)	4,800	5,300	5,300	9,441
Food Establishment (new)**	658	690	690	711
Temporary Food Permits	3,254	4,449	4,449	4,655
Building Plan reviews*** (Restaurants etc.)	563	553	553	583
Source: Environmental Health Services Division, Sanitation Branch
State Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30)
* Food Establishment Renewals and New for 2011-2014 data is for Oahu only, 2014-15 data is for the entire State
** Food Permit approval inspections are done within 24 hours of a request
*** Plans are reviewed within 48 hours of complete submittal

*Table 2: Food Establishments requiring permits (SFY 2013 – 2015)**
Island	2013-14	# of inspectors 2013-14	2014-15	# of inspectors 2014-15
Oahu	6,000	31	5,929	31
Hawaii	1,800	8	1,783	8
Maui	1,600	8	1,750	8
Kauai	690	3	700	3
Total	10,090	50	10,162	50
Source: Environmental Health Services Division, Sanitation Branch
State Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30)
* Includes restaurants, hotels, caterers, food warehouses, markets, convenience stores, lunch wagons, push carts, and institutional kitchens for healthcare facilities, preschools, elementary schools, adult and child day care centers, and prisons.

*Table 3: Food Establishments by Risk Category (SFY 2013-15)**
Risk Category	2013-14	2014-15
Category 1*- high risk level	3,363	3,045
Category 2**- mid risk level	3,363	3,350
Category 3***- low risk level	3,364	3,757
Total	10,090	10,152
Source: Environmental Health Services Division, Sanitation Branch
State Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30)
Note: Risk category is determined based on the number of food handling or procedures
* Category 1 – a full-service establishment that has six to eight different food procedures, including receiving, cold storage, hot storage, thermal processing, transportation, cooling, reheating and display. Category 1 establishments are inspected three times a year.
** Category 2 – typically fast food establishments, which have three to five procedures, are inspected twice a year.
*** Category 3 – have up to two procedures, such as cookie or ice cream shops, are inspected once a year.

Indoor & Radiological Health Branch (IRHB)

STATE LABORATORIES DIVISION (SLD):

Click on the ‘SLD Statistics’ accordion bar to learn more.

State Laboratories Division Statistics

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (EHA)

Click on the various EHA offices to learn more.

EHA Enforcement

Hazard Evaluation & Emergency Response (HEER) Office

Environmental Resource Office (ERO)

Environmental Planning Office (EPO)

Compliance Assistance Office (CAO)

Office of Environmental Quality Control

The Office of Environmental Quality Control is attached directly to the leadership of Department of Health. Click here to learn more about their activities.

OEQC Data

Data from Elsewhere in the State of Hawaii:

State of Hawaii, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) Data Books
https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/databook/

2015 State of Hawaii Data Book – Environmental data: Section 5
https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/economic/databook/db2015/section05.pdf

Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard
https://dashboard.hawaii.gov/aloha-challenge

For any county, city, metro, and state in the U.S., DataUSA by MIT Media Lab pulls up visualizations of data on the economy, demographics, health, education, and housing. It’s essentially a one-stop shop for information that is easy to search, understand, embed, and build into new code.
https://datausa.io/profile/geo/hawaii

“He ‘onipa‘a ka ‘oiā‘i‘o.”

Truth is not changeable.

Last update: 08/27/2024 (first paragraph only)

Table 1: 2014 Greenhouse Gas Emissons (Metric Tons CO2e)
Sector	# of Facilities	GHG Emissions
Power Plants	15	6,666,337
Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems	1	2,612
Refineries	2	966,156
Chemicals	2	130,138
Other	2	152,588
Waste	8	565,782
TOTAL	30	8,483,613
Source: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions

Table 2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2010 (MMTCO2Eq)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Type	1990	2010	*2020 Goal*
Energy	8.08	8.85	8.08
Ground Transport	3.23	3.10	3.23
Marine Transport	1.65	2.15	1.65
Freight	1.53	1.37	1.53
Waste	0.85	1.10	0.85
TOTAL	15.34	16.57	15.34
Source: ICF International (DBEDT Consultant for the GHG Task Force), Proposed GHG Reduction Work Plans for Hawaii, 10 November 2009
*MMTCO2Eq = Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
**Energy= residential, commercial, industrial, electric power, oil and gas
Note: Aviation emissions are excluded from Act 234, and thus are not included in this table

Table 1. Percentage of Population Served Safe Drinking Water (CY 2013-2016)
Calendar Year	Total Population Served Drinking Water*	Population Served Water in Compliance with MCLs**	Percentage Population Served Water in Compliance with MCLs**
2013	1,505,329	1,448,126	96.20%
2014	1,505,329	1,489,254	98.93%
2015	1,507,848	1,502,032	99.61%
2016	1,513,713	1,512,713	99.93%
Source: Department of Health, Safe Drinking Water Branch
*Water systems report their populations based on an estimated number of persons served by their systems. The total number of persons served by these systems will exceed the recorded population of the state (thru Census data) because some persons are served by multiple water systems daily and are therefore counted in multiple service estimates.
**Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL)

*Table 3. Underground Injection Control (UIC) Well Compliance (SFY 2009-2016)**
SF Year	Total UIC Permits	Total Expired Permits	Current Permits	% of Current Permits
2009	818	374	444	54%
2010	857	385	472	55%
2011	879	394	485	55%
2012	911	393	518	57%
2013	926	389	537	58%
2014	934	402	532	57%
2015	935	413	522	56%
2016	943	414	529	56%
Source: Department of Health, Safe Drinking Water Branch
*State Fiscal Year (July-June)

Approximate Number of Cesspools by Island (SFY 2016)
Island	Number of Cesspools	Percent of State
Hawaii	49,083	56%
Kauai	13,688	16%
Maui	12,201	14%
Oahu	10,748	12%
Molokai	1,323	2%
TOTAL	87,043	100%
Source: Department of Health, Wastewater Branch

Environmental Planning Office