Judge’s Request in Maui Water Row Echoes Supreme Court Ruling

摘要

A Clean Water Act permit dispute between environmental groups and a Hawaii county’s wastewater facility is unable to be resolved without more information that the U.S. Supreme Courtrecently deemed necessary, a federal district court said.Hawaii Wildlife Fund and other environmental advocacy groups moved for summary judgment, arguing there is undisputed evidence Maui County, Hawaii, discharged pollutants at itswastewater reclamation facility without a permit. But it’s not yet clear a permit is necessary, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii said in a Wednesday request for clearer detailsfrom both parties.The county also moved for summary judgment and argued the groups lack admissible evidence of a violation. Both motions turn on whether the discharged, treated wastewater from thecounty’s reclamation facility is the “functional equivalent of a direct discharge” into the Pacific Ocean, Judge Susan Oki Mollway said.