On July 29, 2004, three environmental groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against The City of Honolulu and Mayor Jeremy Harris over repeated sewage spills and violations of federal clean water standards. Hawaii’s Thousand Friends, The Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter and Our Children’s Earth cited the city for repeatedly violating its wastewater permits by failing to repair, maintain and upgrade sewage facilities. The groups contend that a lack of attention by the city is to blame for hundreds of sewage spills that allowed dangerous amounts of raw sewage into waterways, homes and businesses over the last five years. Also, many public beaches were forced to close numerous times due to contamination. The law suit will be heard in February 2005 after Harris is out of office. Honolulu Weekly cartoon 3-10-2004