NOTICE OF CLEAN WATER BRANCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT FOR
PORT ALLEN GENERATING STATION
NPDES PERMIT NO. HI 0000353
DOCKET NO. HI 0000353
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
August 28, 2025 – September 27, 2025
The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), Clean Water Branch (CWB) tentatively recommends to the Director of Health (Director) to renew a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to regulate and impose water pollution control requirements on the discharge of once-through non-contact cooling water, to receiving State waters, subject to special conditions, to:
KAUAI ISLAND UTILITY COOPERATIVE
A permit for such discharge would expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Facility is located at: 261 Aka Ula Street, Eleele, Kauai, Hawaii.
The Permittee owns and operates the Facility, an 86.6 MW electric power generating facility located at Port Allen to meet the Island of Kauai’s electrical demand. The Facility utilizes water from three on-site wells for its once-through non-contact cooling process. The once-through non-contact cooling water discharges to Port Allen Bay through a shoreline outlet – Outfall Serial No. 001. Storm water runoff from the Facility discharges to Port Allen and Hanapepe Bays and are covered under a separate NPDES General Permit.
The receiving water, Port Allen Bay, is classified by the DOH as Class A Wet Embayment under Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), Section 11-54-6(a)(2)(B). It is the objective of Class A waters that their use for recreational purposes and aesthetic enjoyment be protected. Any other use shall be permitted as long as it is compatible with the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, and with recreation in and on these waters. These waters shall not act as receiving waters for any discharge which has not received the best degree of treatment or control compatible with the criteria established for this class.
Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed NPDES permit or to request a public hearing, should submit their comments or requests in writing no later than 30 calendar days after the date of this notice, either through E-mail at cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov or by mail at P.O. BOX 3378, Honolulu, Hawaii 96801-3378.
Copies of the Public Notice permit recommended by CWB and other information are available for public inspection, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m., at the DOH Clean Water Branch office located at 2827 Waimano Home Road, Room 225, Pearl City, Hawaii 96782. Copies may be bought. Electronic copies of the proposed Public Notice permit and other information are also available online at https://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/clean-water-branch-home-page/public-notices-and-updates/.
For more information or if you have special needs due to disability that will aid you in inspecting and/or commenting on the Public Notice permit and related information, please contact Mr. Reef Migita, Supervisor of the Engineering Section, Clean Water Branch, at the above address or (808) 586-4309 (Voice) as soon as possible before the end of the comment period. For those who use a TTY/TDD, please call through Sprint Relay Hawaii, at 1 711 or 1-877-447-5991. If a request for assistance is made after the end of the comment period, the CWB will try to fulfill the request, but cannot guarantee that the request can be fulfilled prior to a final determination.
All written comments and requests received on time will be considered. If the Director determines that there is significant public interest, a public hearing may be held after at least 30 calendar days of Public Notice.
If CWB believes, after considering all timely written comments at any public hearing that may be held, that no substantive changes to the conditions of the Public Notice permit are necessary or warranted, then CWB may recommend to the Director that the NPDES permit be issued.
Please notify anyone you know who would be interested in this matter.
DARRYL LUM, P.E.
Clean Water Branch Chief
(TGI1503305 8/28/25)
