Congratulations to ELP alumnae Anna Ishikawa Fernandez ‘11 on her new position as Environmental Management Program Manager for the Office of Environmental Compliance at the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.

The Department of Transportation’s Office of Environmental Compliance (ENV) is excited to offer a paid internship (part-time or full-time), to commence this summer. This internship will involve working primarily on Clean Water Act issues and other environmental projects handled by ENV.  Interested students should contact Anna Ishikawa Fernandez to apply.  She can be reached at anna.i.fernandez@hawaii.gov or (808) 586-2502.

Prior to working at the DOT, Fernandez worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu. She also worked as a DOCARE Legal Fellow in 2013, with a focus on achieving better natural resource case dispositions at the district court level. Fernandez also spent several years working at the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, where she initially acquired her passion for environmental law.

Hawaiʻi’s Department of Transportation Office of Environmental Compliance is responsible to ensure all HDOT divisions, operational areas, and facilities are in compliance with environmental regulations, including: hazardous waste management, solid waste management, waste oil handling, water quality, air quality, underground storage tank maintenance, remediation of hazardous substances, noise abatement, cultural and natural resources; endangered species; and, safety issues as they relate to hazardous remedial and site investigations.   This newly formed office and position will also serve as a central point of contact for any collaborative efforts with other regulatory agencies.

As program manager, Fernandez has the responsibility and authority to ensure HDOT complies with all federal, state, and local environmental laws, rules, and regulations and permits, relating to Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems (MS4) compliance. In this position, she is responsible for ensuring that each division’s operations address all environmental compliance issues, including stormwater permits and stormwater management plans.