Friday 12/22 Meeting: Olowalu Waste Site for Toxic Debris
Friday 12/22 Meeting: Olowalu Waste Site for Toxic Debris
The Maui County Council will hold a special meeting Friday with first reading of Bill 120 authorizing the use of sacred land in Olowalu as a toxic dump site. Please testify in opposition.
At Monday’s Community Meeting at the Lahaina Civic Center, government officials gave a basic presentation on their plan to use a state-controlled parcel in Olowalu as the disposal site for toxic debris and ash from the Lahaina fires. There was very little discussion about alternative sites or methods, and hundreds of community members in attendance were left with unanswered questions and no real opportunity to voice concerns.
This Friday, December 22nd, at 9:00am, the Maui County Council will take up the issue at a special meeting. We need to let the councilmembers know that we don’t want to see the sacred land of Olowalu turned into a toxic dump site. Send in written testimony and show up in person to speak out against this short-sighted project that could devastate our natural environment and harm the health of these islands for generations to come.
The deadline to submit written testimony is Thursday, December 21st at 9:00am.
Email your testimony to county.clerk@mauicounty.us or fax to (808) 270-7171.
Provide testimony in person at the Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building, 8th Floor, 200 South High Street, Wailuku, Hawaiʻi.
You can also speak by phone or video:
“Individuals may provide oral testimony by phone or video conference. To join the meeting by phone, call 1-408-317-9253 and input meeting code 295235670. To join by video conference, use the following link: https://maui.bluejeans.com/295235670.
Oral testimony on any agenda item will be accepted at the beginning of the meeting and prior to Council's deliberation on each section of the agenda. Testimony must pertain to items on the agenda. Each testifier shall be allowed to speak for up to three minutes on each item.”
The agenda item is the Water and Infrastructure Committee Report CR 23-116:
“Recommending FIRST READING of Bill 120, CD1 (2023), to authorize the Mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the State Department of Land and Natural Resources for a management right-of-entry permit for parcels totaling 52.7 acres and identified for real property tax purposes as tax map keys (2) 4-8-003:007 and (2) 4-8-003:008 (portion), Olowalu, Maui, Hawaii, to allow for wildfire debris landfill and ancillary purposes.”
Despite serious concerns expressed by the community about the risks of toxic substances in the ash and debris leaching into the groundwater and making their way into nearby ocean waters, construction of the dump site is already underway:
“The update stirred mixed reactions in Maui residents, with some fearing that hauling 400,000 pounds [sic] of debris into their remote community will become an environmental hazard.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they plan to start hauling debris out of Lahaina and into Olowalu in January when building of the temporary site is complete.”
The ash and debris are actually estimated to weigh 400,000 tons (not pounds)! That is 800 million pounds!!!
The debris and ash that would be buried in Olowalu contain elevated levels of toxic substances, including arsenic, antimony, cobalt, copper, and lead.
Environmental protections are being suspended under emergency proclamation. There are no comprehensive studies of the risks of this plan. Safer alternatives have not been considered. This is government overreach that could have catastrophic impacts on our island home.
Olowalu is a culturally and historically significant area. The Olowalu community and Native Hawaiian lineal descendants have not been consulted on the use of this land. The repurposed cinder pit disposal site is near Olowalu reef, an important natural resource area for the people of West Maui. This reef is critical to the health of Hawai‘i’s oceans.
Please testify in opposition to Bill 120. Protect the ‘āina and let the Maui County Council know that we do not want a toxic dump site at Olowalu.
Sample Testimony to email by Thursday 12/21 at 9:00am:
I’m opposed to Bill 120 and do not want Olowalu used as a disposal site for toxic debris and ash from the Lahaina fires. This plan could irreversibly harm the health of Maui’s people, wildlife, and environment.
Hawai‘i Unites has taken the state to court to stop the release of bacteria-infected mosquitoes on Maui. Your donations help move our legal case forward. Mahalo for supporting the work that we’re doing to protect the ‘āina.
Aloha,
Tina Lia
Founder
Hawai‘i Unites
HawaiiUnites.org
Hawai‘i Unites is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of our environment and natural resources. Your tax-deductible donations help us to fulfill our mission of honoring and protecting our sacred connection to the natural world.
