It’s been an interesting challenge for Hawaii’s new environmental court system, which began in July 2015.

Suzanne Case, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said her department was not consulted in the proposed plea deal for Christian Gutierrez, 19, who pleaded no contest in the slaying of 15 protected Laysan albatrosses at Kaena Point in December 2015.

Case noted that the damage, which included the destruction of nests and eggs, could affect hundreds of birds over time, beyond the 15 that were killed. It’s the sort of expert perspective an environmental court might find helpful in determining the severity of crimes presented to it.

Vigilance the new standard for sewage spills

When tropical storm remnants hammered Honolulu in August 2015, city Environmental Services alarms sounded off. Amid the commotion workers mistakenly deactivated a pump station alarm, which led to a massive stormwater and raw sewage spill into waters off Ala Moana Beach and nearby areas.

The city has now agreed to pay the state a $100,000 fine and make various improvements, such as tightened communications. With new highrise residences going up in the Ala Moana area, more vigilance is needed, especially before the next storm season arrives.