Operator urges Hawaii County to require formal confined-space procedures until DEM completes written package

HILO — During public comment at the Communication Reports and Council Oversight Committee meeting, Alan Fukumizu, a licensed wastewater operator and UPWBU Unit 168 chief steward, told the council that compliance with EPA orders requires not just construction work but operational readiness and complete written safety documentation.

Fukumizu said the Office of Information Practices had flagged the department’s UIPA response as deficient and that site-specific written documentation needed for safe entry is still not available when required. "In aviation, if something isn't documented, it isn't airworthy. In wastewater, if it isn't documented, it isn't safe," he said. He urged the council to direct the Department of Environmental Management to provide a date-certain report with a complete confined-space and lockout/tagout safety package and interim written directives governing entries until the full package is complete.

Why it matters: Testimony raises operational safety and transparency concerns at county treatment facilities subject to federal oversight. Fukumizu framed the issue as both a worker-safety and public-safety matter and requested a specific, auditable deliverable from DEM.

Response: Committee members thanked Fukumizu for his testimony. DEM representatives did not commit to a date in the public record during the meeting; council follow-up and DEM reporting were requested in later discussion on project status and documentation.

What’s next: The comment was entered into the record; the committee subsequently heard DEM’s project presentation and asked for consolidated project and financial information. Council members asked DEM for updates and scheduled additional engagement during calendar and budget planning.