While Hawai’i truly is the paradise that people think it is, parts of the islands also experience many of the same challenges faced by industrial areas on the mainland. One of these challenges is cleaning up contamination from inadequate environmental practices of the past.

For the last decade, Hawai’i environmental officials have worked diligently to deal with significant contamination issues in the busiest port area on the islands, the Iwilei District. This area is approximately six square miles on the most populous island of O’ahu and includes the busy Honolulu Harbor as well as hundreds of private businesses. As a group of islands, Hawai’i is greatly dependent on cargo shipped in from outside of the islands. For well over a century, the majority of all goods shipped into Hawai’i have arrived into the Honolulu Harbor. This port also serves as the main distribution point to the neighboring islands. The Honolulu Harbor area has also served as one of the main areas for fuel transfer and handling. As a result, the area has experienced its share of oil, diesel, and other predominantly fuel releases. ...

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