Another outrageous water grab in the midst of devastation and tragedy

While Lāhainā, the island of Maui, and all of Hawaiʻi is still reeling from the devastating fires that swept through West Maui and Kula, the state is facilitating another massive water grab for the corporations that have long hoarded our precious freshwater resources. 

On August 9, attorneys for the state and Alexander & Baldwin claimed that under the current limits on East Maui’s water diversions, there was not enough water in Central Maui for firefighting and that these limits should therefore be overturned. This was outrageously false - as confirmed in a declaration by an attorney for Maui County - and is yet another example of the Green Administration aiding disaster capitalism at the expense of our streams, ‘āina, and communities. 

Tomorrow, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on these completely unfounded claims, and the state’s and A&B’s request to overrule Environmental Court Judge Crabtree’s reduction of authorized East Maui stream diversions to 31.5 million gallons of water per day (mgd), from the 40 mgds the Board of Land and Natural Resources unjustly authorized.

Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday, August 23 at 2pm at this link to watch oral arguments in this case. You don’t want to miss this.

To be clear: there is sufficient evidence showing that there was more than enough water in Central Maui to fight the recent fires in Upcountry, and that there is plenty for any future firefighting needs. The amount of water that can physically be used for firefighting is orders of magnitude less than what A&B can still take from East Maui. There are more than half a dozen reservoirs managed by A&B and Mahi Pono that are already filled with millions of gallons of water, with millions more flowing into them every day. The corporation counsel for Maui County even declared under oath that there has been sufficient water available to fight the fires in Central Maui, and that the Maui Fire Department had made no recent requests for additional East Maui water - a smoking gun demonstrating how state and corporate attorneys are willing to exploit a horrible tragedy to help A&B expand their control of public trust water for their private gain. 

The state attorney general is shamelessly supporting A&B’s attempt to exploit this heartbreaking tragedy to justify their decades of wasted water, and exert greater control over our most precious resource. The blatant use of false narratives around the Maui fires to benefit plantation owners-turned-real estate investors  is despicable. Please tune in tomorrow as we take a stand against this unacceptable and outrageous water grab.