Group News: Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu
Hawaiʻi Island Group
Water bottling at Wailoa… again?
by Cory Harden | Reading time: 2 minutes
Two years ago, the Piʻilani Partners proposal for a water bottling plant near Wailoa Park was soundly rejected by the Windward Planning Commission. But now a similar proposal has popped up for the same site.
The site has been purchased by an out-of-state company.
The new proposal is by Hawaiian Kingdom Brands, which plans to drill down almost a quarter of a mile into a previously untouched aquifer, withdraw up to 200,000 gallons of water a day, and bottle it. They would build a 30,000-square-foot water bottling plant, coffee roasting facility, and drive-through café.
It’s unclear what relationship “Hawaiian Kingdom Brands” has to the actual Hawaiian Kingdom.
The aquifer they propose to tap into has been identified as “fresh, irreplaceable and highly vulnerable to contamination” by the State Office of Planning. They would extract a natural public trust resource—water—solely for commercial gain.
There is a risk of contamination, from arsenic in the muck at the bottom of nearby Wailoa River, if a tsunami hits before valves in drilling pipes can be closed. For Piʻilani Partners, the commission said that the tax revenue and the few jobs that would be generated did not justify the risk of contaminating public trust water.
Some of the aquifer water now flows underground and discharges into the ocean. If withdrawal diminishes that flow, it is unclear how the ocean ecosystem will be affected.
It takes three bottles of water to produce one finished bottle of water. Most of the waste water from production is contaminated, and cannot be reused.
The new company proposes using glass bottles for local sales and—maybe—recycled plastic bottles for non-local sales. But most bottles are unlikely to be recycled again, because, nationwide, about 80% of water bottles are not recycled.
Extracting, processing, bottling, transporting, and refrigerating water burns oil—nationwide, 50 million barrels a year. If bottles contain PET (polyethylene terephthalate, or polyester), that doesn’t biodegrade, but breaks into tiny fragments. The fragments absorb pollutants which can contaminate water and the food chain.
Bottled water has been banned by six cities, almost two dozen national parks, and over a dozen colleges and universities.
Concern over the impacts from Piʻilani Partners led to strong opposition in over 200 pieces of written testimony, and from over 25 people testifying in person. The only people who spoke up in support were people paid to do so. The new project would bring additional impacts—not just noisy trucks as with Piʻilnai, but also traffic from numerous cars transporting people to the café and drive-through.
However, Hawaiian Kingdom Brands does deserve credit for planning an Environmental Assessment and contacting Sierra Club early for comments. Stay tuned for opportunities to weigh in.
Helicopter Relief?
by Cory Harden | Reading time: 1.5 minutes
Photo credit: Georgie Fong on Hawaiʻi Island
A brand new state law now requires tour aircraft, including the “flying chain saw” helicopters that have been bedeviling neighborhoods for decades, to report where they intend to fly, and also where they actually end up flying. They must also report takeoff and landing times and the number of people aboard. This will make it far easier to figure out which tour company has been buzzing your home, and whether they are even allowed in the airspace over your neighborhood.
The law also sets up an air noise and safety task force with members from the government, helicopter and small aircraft industries, and most importantly, community people. An earlier task force had no community members and—no surprise—did nothing to address serious and long-standing community concerns about noise and safety.
Hawaiʻi helicopters and tour aircraft have crash records that would likely put any major airline out of business. Air tours had 38 accidents and 45 fatalities from 2000 to 2019. Six tour helicopters crashed in 2018, and four more in 2019.
And of course there’s the unstoppable tour aircraft and helicopter noise. Some residents are tormented by as many as 40 helicopters a day, starting as early as 7:30 a.m. and continuing to 6 p.m. The noise terrifies children and animals, sets off PTSD in war veterans, intrudes on sleep, interrupts conversations, and causes inescapable stress. On Hawaiʻi Island, during the eruption, the helicopters never let up—they kept flying over people who were losing their homes, their neighborhoods, and their livelihoods.
Regardless, air tour companies currently have permission to fly almost 75 tours per day over Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Please watch for opportunities to make your voice heard at upcoming task force meetings.
Kahaluʻu Bay Area Facing Additional Negative Impacts By Development
by Chuck Flaherty and Cindi Punihaole Kennedy | Reading time: 1.5 minutes
Additional development is in the works around Kahaluʻu Bay, an ecologically and culturally sensitive area. Currently, the developer of a 65-unit development is seeking an extension to County of Hawaiʻi discretionary approvals that expired in 2019.
Kahaluʻu Bay is already dealing with the impact from more than 400,000 beachgoers annually, poor water quality from nearby cesspools, increased runoff from development, and coastal damage from rising sea levels as well as other climate change impacts.
The fresh/drinking water being pumped from the Kahaluʻu water wells has increasing salinity levels and concerns have been growing about the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant that serves the area and is now owned by a U.S. continent company.
For centuries, the area was a center of Hawaiian culture. Unlike many other areas in Hawaiʻi where agricultural activities destroyed Hawaiian cultural sites and landscapes, much of the area around Kahaluʻu Bay remains untouched by grubbing and grading. As a result, many traditional and cultural practices have been preserved and are being restored.
It is because of the historical, cultural, and environmental importance that at its April 12th meeting, the Hawaiʻi County Leeward Planning Commission (LPC) referred Hawaiʻi One1 Investors to the Hawaiʻi County Cultural Resources Commission (CRC).
The CRC required Hawaiʻi One1 Investors to update its Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) and to seek additional consultations with lineal/cultural descendants who were present and testified at the meeting, but who had not been consulted when the original CIA was prepared. Testifiers noted that parcel-by-parcel assessments undermined the importance and impacts to the cultural landscape as a whole.
Because that process had not been completed, the Leeward Planning Commission deferred the matter at its July 21st meeting.
In general, testifiers, including lineal/cultural descendants have asked the LPC to reject the request to extend Special Management Area permit because it had expired in 2019 and has a sunset provision.
Maui Group
Maui County Community Water Authorities to appear on the ballots
by Tara Apo | Reading time: 1.5 minutes
On July 18, Maui County Council voted to put the charter amendment for the Maui County Community Water Authorities with an East Maui Regional Board on the ballot for voters to decide in November.
Mahalo nui to all who have supported this effort! This decision represents a historic step towards restoring community stewardship over our wai, giving our local Upcountry farmers a say in their future, and bringing place-based knowledge back into resource management.
Council members who supported the charter amendment are: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Tasha Kama, Gabe Johnson, Kelly King, Mike Molina, Tamara Paltin, and Shane Sinenci, who introduced the resolution.
Council members who opposed the charter amendment are: Alice Lee and Yuki Lei Sugimura.
The Community Water Authority has evolved over the past few months. What started as an East Maui Community Water Authority developed into the Maui County Community Water Authorities – with an East Maui Regional Board to start. This essentially accomplishes the same goal, and allows an East Maui regional administrator to apply for the East Maui water leases (as opposed to foreign control).
The expanded charter amendment also establishes the framework for other communities – like those of Nā Wai ʻĒha, Maui Komohana (West Maui), and the Molokaʻi Ranch water system – to create regional community boards and pursue management or acquisition of the old plantation water systems in their area.
We celebrate this success and hope youʻll talk about it with your neighbors, friends and ʻohana, and help get this charter amendment passed in November!
Please see some of our past mālama articles to read more about the concept of the community water authority and its significance to our communities: June 2022 and May 2022
Hale Waipulani
by David Dorn and Tara Apo | Reading time: 1.5 minutes
We fully support Maui County Council’s decision on Monday, July 18 to pull the plug on the Hale Waipulani affordable housing project in Kīhei.
The proposed 28-unit development was situated in a wetland area prone to damaging floods, with no stormwater drainage system, and which already experiences heavy traffic congestion.
Wetlands are critically important ecosystems, helping to reduce the impact of flooding, providing water filtration services, and providing habitat to many of our native seabirds and insects. The site's uncompacted Jaucus and Loamy sand soils function as a settling area for neighborhood floodwaters. We can all recall the damaging flooding events in Kīhei just last year!
The developers listened to two years of community testimony and were offered a land swap by the County to a more appropriate location - out of the flood zone, away from the coast and rising sea level - which would leave one of the last open spaces in the area undeveloped for the time being.
According to Mayor Victorino, in a Maui News Affordable Housing editorial on 4/30/22, there are 2500 affordable housing units in the pipeline, meaning that this project represents less than 1% of what will be available.
Of course, Maui County needs affordable housing. But we cannot continue to develop and make decisions without regard for the impacts and future unintended consequences they will bring. Such thoughtless action only places the amplified financial and managerial burden on ourselves in the future - when the impacts are harder to manage.
We are grateful and fully supportive of our council members who listened to the strong community concerns and support affordable housing located in safe locations out of the flood danger zone: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Gabe Johnson, Kelly King, Mike Molina, Tamara Paltin, and Shane Sinenci.
Council members who supported the project are: Alice Lee, Yuki Lei Sugimura, and Tasha Kama.
Moving forward, many community members hope to protect the open space that sits in the middle of Kihei’s dense urban sprawl.
Maui Group Outings
Saturday August 6, 2022
Old Haleakalā Trail (C/E)
Haleakalā, 4 miles
Hike down the segment of the Old Haleakalā Trail from Crater Road to the top of Olinda Road, on the path described by Jack London and Mark Twain. We will meet at the top of Olinda Road and shuttle to the top. It is almost all downhill, with some rocky areas in the beginning and then mostly pasture land.
Leader: Rob Weltman, robw@worldspot.com
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Sunday August 7, 2022
Moonlight South Maui Tidepool Trek (C/E)
Honuaʻula, 0.5 miles
Crabs and other Crepuscular Creatures abound in our tide pools when the light begins to fade. We will explore the geology, biology, cultural and natural history of this unique ecosystem between the shore and the sea and observe some of the marine fish and invertebrates in a safe and sustainable way- under a (nearly) full moon! Light refreshments will be served and field guides are available for viewing. I’ll have some extra headlamps available but please bring your own if you have. Wear close-toed shoes that can get wet (reef tabis, old sneakers, etc). Sunset is at 7:00pm. Porta-potty is available in the parking lot.
Leader: Merrill Ranken, merrill.ranken@gmail.com
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Saturday August 13, 2022
Wailea 670 Service Outing (C/E/S)
South Maui (Palauea ahupua’a), 2.5 miles
Help clean, map and install site markers on a Hawaiian archaeological site complex in a proposed preserve area. Some rough lava terrain. Tools and supplies will be provided.
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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Sunday August 14, 2022
ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve Hike and Snorkel (C/E/S)
La Perouse, 1 miles
Moderate shoreline hike on rocky trail to great snorkeling. Bring swim/snorkel gear, water, snack. Meet 8:00am at ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve parking lot south of Mākena Beach. $5 non-resident fee per vehicle. Limit 10.
Leader: Annie Schultz, acm_schultz@hotmail.com or 734-308-0482
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Monday August 15, 2022
Late Day Waiheʻe Ridge Hike (C/E)
Waiheʻe, 5.5 miles
Avoid the crowds by taking this moderate to strenuous hike later in the day! It is uphill all the way to the top, a 1500 ft elevation, 2.5 hours. This trail is very slippery if there has been any moisture at all so a hiking stick is important on this one. There are beautiful forest and spectacular views. Meet at 3:30pm at the upper parking lot: turn mauka at Mendes Ranch (mile marker 6.9 on Kahekili Highway) and drive .9 miles.
Leader: Merrill Ranken, merrill.ranken@gmail.com or 808 463-8378
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Sunday August 21, 2022
Wailua Iki Stream Hike (C/E)
East Maui, 6 miles
Moderate hike above Hāna Highway through beautiful forest on winding, muddy, jeep road. Pools, waterfalls and lush plant life. We will be hiking through to Keʻanae and leaving a couple cars on that end. Bring appropriate footwear, sunscreen, lunch and water. Meet 8:00am at Haʻikū Community Center. EMI WAIVER REQUIRED (click here for instructions). Limit: 15.
Leader: Miranda Camp, mauimiranda@hotmail.com, co-leader: Lucienne de Naie
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Saturday August 27, 2022
Mālama Hāmākua Day (C/E/S)
Ha‘ikū (Kaupakulua ahupua’a), 2 miles
It’s summer!! Help clear away abandoned rubbish from gulches in Ha‘ikū’s Hāmākua Coastal Preserve and re-plant native species. Tools, snacks, trash bags etc will be provided.
Co-sponsored by Mālama Hāmākua
Leader: Lucienne de Naie, huelogrl@icloud.com
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