Responsiveness and flexibility provide stormwater solutions for Hawaii airports

Summary

• The Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports (DOTA), trusts Haley & Aldrich, a longtime advisor, to provide environmental engineering and regulatory compliance services across all 15 state airports — including the major transportation hubs Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Kahului Airport in Maui, and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on the island of Hawaii — with a focus on stormwater permitting and pollution prevention. 
• DOTA needs reliable technical support to maintain compliance with stormwater regulations. In 2019, after our contract was first awarded, Haley & Aldrich rapidly scaled to complete hundreds of tenant inspections in just a few months in order to meet annual regulatory requirements. Since then, our team has continued to perform these annual inspections and conduct hundreds of drainage well inspections.  
• DOTA and airport tenants also typically have dozens of concurrent design and construction projects. Haley & Aldrich reviews design packages for stormwater requirements and conducts monthly construction best management practice (BMP) inspections. We also authored the department’s Environmental Requirements for Construction Projects Standard Operating Procedure document, which aligns field practices with permit requirements and has strengthened compliance and overall stormwater quality at airports statewide. 
• To manage ongoing permit obligations, we regularly update eight airport-wide Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plans and submit required annual reports to regulators. We have also prepared two airport-specific Stormwater Management plans and three airport-specific Industrial Stormwater Pollution Prevention plans and train hundreds of DOTA personnel each year on pollution prevention, giving staff the confidence and knowledge to maintain compliance. 
• DOTA relies on us to maintain operational efficiency and program quality by standardizing processes and responsibilities across staff, tenants, and contractors. To advance that goal and standardize compliance processes statewide, we led the implementation of a new asset management system, developed compliance manuals and guidance, and overhauled both the Post‑Construction and Construction BMP manuals.  

“DOTA required urgent assistance to assist with three airport permit renewals for both Small MS4 and industrial permits. The Haley & Aldrich stormwater team stepped in immediately to help DOTA meet these urgent needs. … I continue to value the quality of their work as well as their professionalism and consider Haley & Aldrich part of our DOTA environmental team.” — Stacy Paquette, lead environmental health specialist, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports Division

For more information, contact:

Simone Simbeck

Principal Environmental Scientist, Consultant

Dennis Peters

Principal Consultant, Environmental Manager

Mikki Slentz

Senior Project Manager, Civil Engineer