Every day, I’m scouring the Internet for land use and environmental news from around the state and around the world that means something for us here in Hawaii. Noteworthy today: wastewater seeping out of springs on Maui, a years-long drought is not over yet on the Big Island and state funds will expand a beach park on Kauai.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Maui County to sample and test water, saying two studies found “substantial evidence” that wastewater injected into the ground was seeping out of submarine springs, according to the Maui News.
• Drought conditions have been affecting the state since April 2008 and will likely continue for the foreseeable future, The National Weather Service told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
• Gov. Lingle has released $800,000 in state funds, clearing the way for the long-discussed expansion of the popular Black Pot Beach Park on Kauai’s North Shore, The Garden Island reports.
• Star-Bulletin veteran Nina Wu is taking her monthly “Green Leaf” environmental feature to the new Star-Advertiser. Today, she has stories about backyard composting and recycling glossy paper.
• The spread of oil across the Gulf of Mexico means the cleanup operation is going to take years, Coast Guard commander Adm. Thad W. Allen told reporters today.

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