Gov. Josh Green signed off on a pair of environmental bills on Wednesday that tie a new cesspool conversion loan fund to a fresh co-management framework for the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The twin measures are pitched as a practical one-two punch, giving homeowners a cheaper way to finance upgrades while giving local groups clearer authority to help care for public lands and waters across Hawaiʻi.
What Passed
In a news release from the Office of the Governor, officials confirmed that Green signed HB 2218 (now Act 203) and HB 1618 (now Act 204) at a ceremony on Wednesday. HB 2218 authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to enter into community co-management agreements with qualified community-based organizations and spells out how groups apply, report and stay accountable. Under the law, approved partners can take on work such as invasive-species removal, habitat restoration, shoreline protection and environmental education.
How The Loan Fund Will Work
HB 1618 creates a Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund and tasks the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority with running it. The agency is empowered to offer low-interest or even forgivable loans to eligible homeowners, consistent with the details in the bill. The measure also authorizes the Department of Health to transfer money each year from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to seed the program, and it sets aside $203,750 to hire a program manager to get the effort off the ground…