I am opposed to any toxic waste dump in Olowalu. No to temporary and no to permanent. This will kill off our drinking water, mother reef, and fishing source also pollute the land and have irreversible effects. The winds in Olowalu will carry this all over Maui, and everyone will be impacted. There are farms below the proposed sight that feed many families. Do not do this to Maui, we have been through enough years of pollution and desecration.
Dear Mayor Bissen and Maui County Council Members, Greetings and Best To You All in 2024!
My purpose for this letter is to summarize a few key lessons learned by 3 California firms over their 6 year experience developing a $44 million state-of-the-art toxic waste site project in which I held a lead position.
The 6 year project consisted of 5 years of engineering followed by one year of deployment planning. Parsons Engineering performed lead engineering tasks, providing an immense array of geological, chemical, logistical, and inventive new technology development. Parsons was widely regarded as the best and we also had NASA engineers involved and State. My role was project head for documentation and lead author of the CA State bond issue funding the project.
The ultimate project goal was to develop the engineering body of knowledge strong enough to create 19 toxic waste disposal sites throughout California. The immediate goal was one pilot site employing all best practices and new technologies for wise waste handling and disposal. The pilot site was to be an approximately 40 acre location. It’s location was far removed from people and traffic, isolated from aquifers, and atop the most stable impermeable substrates possible within reasonable transportation distance. Almost no chance of aquifer intrusion.
Financial incentives and jobs multipliers were impressive. The project held plenty of buy-in among locals, city, county, state, and corporate stakeholders.
The timely need and wisdom to handle toxic waste safely once and forever was clear to all.
The project started in 1990, went to final funding in ’96, and was slated for ground breaking in ’97. During final reviews in ’96,
when the ultimate ramifications were fully digested, the wisest path, that of cancelling the project, was made.
Four points below compare reasons why that project was cancelled relevant to the Lahaina toxic ash project proposed for Olowalu:
1. Water run off, ground water, aquifer lattice, underground streams, and tidal influences can, once toxins enter, cross contaminate not just downstream but upward and crosswise for many hundreds of miles in every direction. The CA site chosen had the fewest possible aquifer contact points, was in the high desert, had no underground streams, and near zero annual runoff. Geologically, the CA site was optimally suitable. Yet the plan was cancelled, in part, because risk of poisoning aquifer water was inevitable, too much risk. To the best of my experience and knowledge, the Olowalu site is geologically unsuitable for toxic waste disposal. Should the aquifer system of west Maui become poisoned, it’s essentially forever. To this day, the aquifers of Vietnam, poisoned by Agent Orange, cause 350,000 birth defects per year via DNA poisoning capable of extending 14 generations. And there’s no guarantee that the west Maui aquifer system would never catch a wave to east Maui. That’s the problem with aquifer lattices in a highly mobile topography. Intact DNA of Kanaka Maoli is especially priceless.
2. CA site facilities and methods were substantially superior to the proposed methods and facilities at Olowalu. CA containment included impermeable clay, concrete over substrate, reinforced integral concrete borders, membranes and more techniques at levels considerably more intensive than methods proposed for Oluwalu. Site air handling was extensive. A good toxic waste facility has to be a permanent prison for every molecule of toxicants. I visited the Olowalu site and saw the technicians, for whom I am
very grateful and respectful, wrestling rolls of liner/felt in the wind. The problem is that the site, facilities, and plan is inadequate for the need. Look at Mother Maui’s profile, the site sits on her nose, like a spoon, poised for a sneeze. Despite CA’s more hardened facilities, the plan was cancelled in part due to community risk of toxins escaping their very well engineered prison.
3. Costs and funding for the CA proposal were extremely well refined. The engineers, lawyers, and accountants had line item costs on every kind of molecule, literally. Yet, in part, the proposal was cancelled because downstream costs, and downstream involvement by additional authorities looked likely to be severe. What does that mean, in essence, this: that some aspect of toxicant escape was inevitable, and when it did, expenses would balloon astronomically, and via various federal laws, a kind of ‘toxin eminent domain’ could mean the federal government might assume possession of, and responsibility for, any contaminated facilities, waterways, and lands. Certainly layers of additional authorities would come in to stay. Reading the Olowalu proposal, it’s nowhere near as air tight as the CA one. As proposed, county costs are likely to balloon astronomically over time. If you ultimately decide to go ahead with it, now would be the time to put a lot of mitigation clauses in all your plans and contracts.
4. CA toxin origination, pickup, and transportation differed little from Lahaina. The main difference was the site was remote, isolated, and stable. Transportation risks were part of the reason why CA cancelled, and wind/dust. Obviously the Olowalu site sits on a main tourist and resident artery. Winds are regular. Any toxin escape into dust would easily carry to Oluwalu’s reef and beyond. Caribbean reef die offs of a few years ago were found to be caused by dust, far flung dust. Scientists found that dust came from dust storms in Africa. When that dust stopped, the reefs rebounded. It wasn’t poisonous dust. Convergence of the
trades around the west Maui mountains could easily carry ash dust to Wailea, Molokini, Molokai, and Lanai, possibly even Big Island. It’s not just Oluwalu’s reef at risk. The site sits like a spoon holding dust for the winds sweeping around those mountains and down that canyon. I wish the site were a better toxin prison, but it’s a dust spoon. No one’s fault, it’s Mother Maui’s nose, and she blows it. Navy tests of dust dispersion recorded carriage up to 200 miles.
Although I applaud your efforts to move swiftly to imprison the toxic ash, for the professional reasons above, and for all the personal and professional reasons voiced in attachments number 1 and 2 below, which I support, I stand against the current proposed toxic waste disposal plan designating Olowalu as temporary and permanent site. I strongly agree with Ka’ahui, “There is too much risk to our community, the ‘aina, and kai.”
As a Maui resident since 2014 I’m deeply appreciative literally every single day for all the good that you do, the considerable challenges, and the opportunities to bless our keiki for all time that you wield. I'm disabled, I take the bus, I see the good you do for Maui frequently and thank you!
California engineers have now raised the bar well over my 1995 project experience. The proposal for them to handle the ash is probably as good a solution as possible. I realize that creates an off island problem. Has anyone brought forth better solutions? What about polymerization/encapsulation?
Pele’s solution to toxins has long filled me with awe. She has several. She encapsulates toxins in crystals and rocks. Some incredibly toxic poisons are locked harmlessly in crystals. Then she grows a reef on them. She layers, she vents, she mixes, and she cultivates plant remediation. How about take a cue from her? Has anyone proposed some sort of polymerization that could make ‘bricks’ onsite locking in the toxins?
Someone invented truck sized machines that make bricks on site. If that can be polymerized, it would make ash safe prior to moving. Bricks could build a memorial. Hawaiians would have perm access safely to the memorial for all ceremony and honors. Or, maybe even polymerized bricks could be covered with a layer of coral polyp 'food' then carefully placed where the sea would further encapsulate bricks via encasement by living coral: hmm, reef seeds instead of reef poison. That is afterall one of Pele's tricks.
You’re in my thoughts and prayers! Not an easy task, worth doing right the first time. You can do exactly that, please do!
Thank you for listening to the experience of an old grizzly bear.
Much Mahalo, Larry Holm
PS. On my life’s path, DDT, dioxin, and Agent Orange adversely altered my life and all 4 of my children’s lives. Severely! Please defend Maui's keiki against such suffering! I hope we all rise to stand against toxicants, especially Hawaii now. We won’t regret it. Many of the Lahaina ash toxicants have no safe level. I swim for therapy to heal. One day I swam in the ocean when the Lahaina ash was washing through Kihei. Once in it, it looked like ash river, tasted like smoke. I got out immediately. Still, I got very sick from it. Maui’s waters, whether underground or in Maui’s whale play-pool are a great treasure. Let’s keep them pure. Pure can be forever, same as poison.
I am opposed to any toxic waste dump in Olowalu. No to temporary and no to permanent. This will kill off our drinking water, mother reef, and fishing source. The winds in Olowalu WILL carry this all over Maui, and everyone will be impacted. Lineal descendants are all opposed and were not consulted at all prior to this. The 1 meeting held for us was requested by our family. And this was the only meeting that was not on the County Line Facebook page. There are stacking of stones at the Olowalu site that have been ignored. Larry Holm, who worked on a toxic waste site in California submitted written testimony citing the many reasons why this is going to destroy us. Solutions have also been offered by Eddy Garcia and by Larry Holm.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) offers the following COMMENTS to the Maui County Council regarding the August 2023 Maui Wildfires Temporary Debris Disposal Site (TDDS) and Final Debris Disposal Site (FDDS) in Olowalu.
I am opposed to dumping Toxic Waste in Oluwalu that will leach into the soil & into the ocean, polluting & killing land animals, marine life & endangering those that swim, dive & fish in the waters of the surrounding areas causing various cancers and poisoning the entire region for many, many years. There will be no way to clean it up! It is also a danger to our food supply, especially for local fishmen that will sell their catch in markets, endangering all those that consume their catch. I am also concerned that extremely dangerous toxins will be picked up by the strong winds that blow through the area of Oluwalu and spread these toxins all over Maui & even to other Islands in the Hawaiian chain. This hazardous waste should Not & Must Not be allowed to be dumped in Olowalu or any other area that would endanger our Land, Water, Fauna & Flora & our Beautiful Beaches & Our Ocean. The Army Corp of engineers must be Stopped their Illegal Preparations for this Foolish & Very Dangerous Toxic Dump. We need to Learn from History, we need to listen to what the People want, especially the Hawaiian & Local Community in Maui, but also All of Hawaii. As a Citizen of Hawaii I Stand With All of Those That Oppose This!!!
No to the dumping of toxic waste in Olowalu
I am opposed to any toxic waste dump in Olowalu. No to temporary and no to permanent. This will kill off our drinking water, mother reef, and fishing source also pollute the land and have irreversible effects. The winds in Olowalu will carry this all over Maui, and everyone will be impacted. There are farms below the proposed sight that feed many families. Do not do this to Maui, we have been through enough years of pollution and desecration.
Dear Mayor Bissen and Maui County Council Members, Greetings and Best To You All in 2024!
My purpose for this letter is to summarize a few key lessons learned by 3 California firms over their 6 year experience developing a $44 million state-of-the-art toxic waste site project in which I held a lead position.
The 6 year project consisted of 5 years of engineering followed by one year of deployment planning. Parsons Engineering performed lead engineering tasks, providing an immense array of geological, chemical, logistical, and inventive new technology development. Parsons was widely regarded as the best and we also had NASA engineers involved and State. My role was project head for documentation and lead author of the CA State bond issue funding the project.
The ultimate project goal was to develop the engineering body of knowledge strong enough to create 19 toxic waste disposal sites throughout California. The immediate goal was one pilot site employing all best practices and new technologies for wise waste handling and disposal. The pilot site was to be an approximately 40 acre location. It’s location was far removed from people and traffic, isolated from aquifers, and atop the most stable impermeable substrates possible within reasonable transportation distance. Almost no chance of aquifer intrusion.
Financial incentives and jobs multipliers were impressive. The project held plenty of buy-in among locals, city, county, state, and corporate stakeholders.
The timely need and wisdom to handle toxic waste safely once and forever was clear to all.
The project started in 1990, went to final funding in ’96, and was slated for ground breaking in ’97. During final reviews in ’96,
when the ultimate ramifications were fully digested, the wisest path, that of cancelling the project, was made.
Four points below compare reasons why that project was cancelled relevant to the Lahaina toxic ash project proposed for Olowalu:
1. Water run off, ground water, aquifer lattice, underground streams, and tidal influences can, once toxins enter, cross contaminate not just downstream but upward and crosswise for many hundreds of miles in every direction. The CA site chosen had the fewest possible aquifer contact points, was in the high desert, had no underground streams, and near zero annual runoff. Geologically, the CA site was optimally suitable. Yet the plan was cancelled, in part, because risk of poisoning aquifer water was inevitable, too much risk. To the best of my experience and knowledge, the Olowalu site is geologically unsuitable for toxic waste disposal. Should the aquifer system of west Maui become poisoned, it’s essentially forever. To this day, the aquifers of Vietnam, poisoned by Agent Orange, cause 350,000 birth defects per year via DNA poisoning capable of extending 14 generations. And there’s no guarantee that the west Maui aquifer system would never catch a wave to east Maui. That’s the problem with aquifer lattices in a highly mobile topography. Intact DNA of Kanaka Maoli is especially priceless.
2. CA site facilities and methods were substantially superior to the proposed methods and facilities at Olowalu. CA containment included impermeable clay, concrete over substrate, reinforced integral concrete borders, membranes and more techniques at levels considerably more intensive than methods proposed for Oluwalu. Site air handling was extensive. A good toxic waste facility has to be a permanent prison for every molecule of toxicants. I visited the Olowalu site and saw the technicians, for whom I am
very grateful and respectful, wrestling rolls of liner/felt in the wind. The problem is that the site, facilities, and plan is inadequate for the need. Look at Mother Maui’s profile, the site sits on her nose, like a spoon, poised for a sneeze. Despite CA’s more hardened facilities, the plan was cancelled in part due to community risk of toxins escaping their very well engineered prison.
3. Costs and funding for the CA proposal were extremely well refined. The engineers, lawyers, and accountants had line item costs on every kind of molecule, literally. Yet, in part, the proposal was cancelled because downstream costs, and downstream involvement by additional authorities looked likely to be severe. What does that mean, in essence, this: that some aspect of toxicant escape was inevitable, and when it did, expenses would balloon astronomically, and via various federal laws, a kind of ‘toxin eminent domain’ could mean the federal government might assume possession of, and responsibility for, any contaminated facilities, waterways, and lands. Certainly layers of additional authorities would come in to stay. Reading the Olowalu proposal, it’s nowhere near as air tight as the CA one. As proposed, county costs are likely to balloon astronomically over time. If you ultimately decide to go ahead with it, now would be the time to put a lot of mitigation clauses in all your plans and contracts.
4. CA toxin origination, pickup, and transportation differed little from Lahaina. The main difference was the site was remote, isolated, and stable. Transportation risks were part of the reason why CA cancelled, and wind/dust. Obviously the Olowalu site sits on a main tourist and resident artery. Winds are regular. Any toxin escape into dust would easily carry to Oluwalu’s reef and beyond. Caribbean reef die offs of a few years ago were found to be caused by dust, far flung dust. Scientists found that dust came from dust storms in Africa. When that dust stopped, the reefs rebounded. It wasn’t poisonous dust. Convergence of the
trades around the west Maui mountains could easily carry ash dust to Wailea, Molokini, Molokai, and Lanai, possibly even Big Island. It’s not just Oluwalu’s reef at risk. The site sits like a spoon holding dust for the winds sweeping around those mountains and down that canyon. I wish the site were a better toxin prison, but it’s a dust spoon. No one’s fault, it’s Mother Maui’s nose, and she blows it. Navy tests of dust dispersion recorded carriage up to 200 miles.
Although I applaud your efforts to move swiftly to imprison the toxic ash, for the professional reasons above, and for all the personal and professional reasons voiced in attachments number 1 and 2 below, which I support, I stand against the current proposed toxic waste disposal plan designating Olowalu as temporary and permanent site. I strongly agree with Ka’ahui, “There is too much risk to our community, the ‘aina, and kai.”
As a Maui resident since 2014 I’m deeply appreciative literally every single day for all the good that you do, the considerable challenges, and the opportunities to bless our keiki for all time that you wield. I'm disabled, I take the bus, I see the good you do for Maui frequently and thank you!
California engineers have now raised the bar well over my 1995 project experience. The proposal for them to handle the ash is probably as good a solution as possible. I realize that creates an off island problem. Has anyone brought forth better solutions? What about polymerization/encapsulation?
Pele’s solution to toxins has long filled me with awe. She has several. She encapsulates toxins in crystals and rocks. Some incredibly toxic poisons are locked harmlessly in crystals. Then she grows a reef on them. She layers, she vents, she mixes, and she cultivates plant remediation. How about take a cue from her? Has anyone proposed some sort of polymerization that could make ‘bricks’ onsite locking in the toxins?
Someone invented truck sized machines that make bricks on site. If that can be polymerized, it would make ash safe prior to moving. Bricks could build a memorial. Hawaiians would have perm access safely to the memorial for all ceremony and honors. Or, maybe even polymerized bricks could be covered with a layer of coral polyp 'food' then carefully placed where the sea would further encapsulate bricks via encasement by living coral: hmm, reef seeds instead of reef poison. That is afterall one of Pele's tricks.
You’re in my thoughts and prayers! Not an easy task, worth doing right the first time. You can do exactly that, please do!
Thank you for listening to the experience of an old grizzly bear.
Much Mahalo, Larry Holm
PS. On my life’s path, DDT, dioxin, and Agent Orange adversely altered my life and all 4 of my children’s lives. Severely! Please defend Maui's keiki against such suffering! I hope we all rise to stand against toxicants, especially Hawaii now. We won’t regret it. Many of the Lahaina ash toxicants have no safe level. I swim for therapy to heal. One day I swam in the ocean when the Lahaina ash was washing through Kihei. Once in it, it looked like ash river, tasted like smoke. I got out immediately. Still, I got very sick from it. Maui’s waters, whether underground or in Maui’s whale play-pool are a great treasure. Let’s keep them pure. Pure can be forever, same as poison.
They have no idea if this lining will work, the technology is only 6 years old.
I am opposed to any toxic waste dump in Olowalu. No to temporary and no to permanent. This will kill off our drinking water, mother reef, and fishing source. The winds in Olowalu WILL carry this all over Maui, and everyone will be impacted. Lineal descendants are all opposed and were not consulted at all prior to this. The 1 meeting held for us was requested by our family. And this was the only meeting that was not on the County Line Facebook page. There are stacking of stones at the Olowalu site that have been ignored. Larry Holm, who worked on a toxic waste site in California submitted written testimony citing the many reasons why this is going to destroy us. Solutions have also been offered by Eddy Garcia and by Larry Holm.
See links below, and add to testimony.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1gQhEsueCd/?igsh=MW91azVxMXEwcmQwZw==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1kfp94Pc23/?igsh=MXV5MGoxYTB1cTQwaw==
Leimomi Ka’ahui / Olowalu Village Road
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) offers the following COMMENTS to the Maui County Council regarding the August 2023 Maui Wildfires Temporary Debris Disposal Site (TDDS) and Final Debris Disposal Site (FDDS) in Olowalu.
I am opposed to dumping Toxic Waste in Oluwalu that will leach into the soil & into the ocean, polluting & killing land animals, marine life & endangering those that swim, dive & fish in the waters of the surrounding areas causing various cancers and poisoning the entire region for many, many years. There will be no way to clean it up! It is also a danger to our food supply, especially for local fishmen that will sell their catch in markets, endangering all those that consume their catch. I am also concerned that extremely dangerous toxins will be picked up by the strong winds that blow through the area of Oluwalu and spread these toxins all over Maui & even to other Islands in the Hawaiian chain. This hazardous waste should Not & Must Not be allowed to be dumped in Olowalu or any other area that would endanger our Land, Water, Fauna & Flora & our Beautiful Beaches & Our Ocean. The Army Corp of engineers must be Stopped their Illegal Preparations for this Foolish & Very Dangerous Toxic Dump. We need to Learn from History, we need to listen to what the People want, especially the Hawaiian & Local Community in Maui, but also All of Hawaii. As a Citizen of Hawaii I Stand With All of Those That Oppose This!!!