Aloha, my name is Noelani Cabral Hessler. I come forward as a Kama’aina born and raised resident of Wailuku, Maui. I want to start off with my opposition to this temporary toxic dump site project location in Olowalu. After listening to the entire presentation and testimonies, I agree that we need more choices and solutions. I understand the swiftness we are trying to accomplish but it is clear to me that the majority understands that Olowalu is sacred for many reasons to many generational ohanas and carries iwi in the grounds dating back past the Olowalu Massacre. Anyone who read the Archaeological Inventory Survey and Cultural Impact Assessment for the former Olowalu Town Project that dates to 2012 or older studies from the 90’s by CSH, would help them to better understand how many archaeological sites are situated within the Olowalu community and gulches. If that Puu within the temporary APE does have a heiau on the top or the County finds more information that it was used as a tool to teach ancient navigation and what some were calling the gateway to Tahiti, then I agree we need to do more research and protect and preserve this area better. With Olowalu, being an officially elected Blue Zone for its superior healthy community and aquifer then this needs to be protected as well. The reef ecosystem in the area that our ocean wildlife depends on cannot be undermined; not even temporarily, because temporarily in nature can become long-term contamination with serious repercussions to our already endangered wildlife.
I don’t agree to our central Pu'unēne quarry landfill being the solution to the toxic landfill site either because we know debris could fall out and spread over the Pali and the entire island and the winds are super intense in the central valley too. We are not called the windy isle for no reason. We should not consider contaminating the entire island so soon. There is no way these toxic landfills should be in any way open air either. Kaho`olawe is a big No as well for many reasons especially that the government spent 400 million to clear their toxic trash from that island over the last decades and KIRC has been working so hard to restore it with native plants.
If the ash and trash was moved anywhere it needs to be completely and always sealed and tested to make sure it won’t leak. I’ve worked around the burrito wrapping technique on projects and they always leak a little bit. This is a different sort of toxic trash that needs to be treated completely differently than our normal daily household trash. If there needs to be a moratorium on this case until we have a solidified plan, then maybe we should to help save on government funding, precious time, and big mistakes. I know these decisions are not easy and I hope you all consider your choices carefully and/or come up with better solutions as the choices you make this term now holds the hands to our future generations and is a spotlight in this World.
I agree with the public opinion that we should double check to re-confirm we have collected all human remains that were or are missing. We should confirm with the direct families to see if they are content with the collection of their cremated loved ones in each area. Its obvious that it is difficult to separate out cremation iwi ash with burn ash so if there are needs to cut out further sections of properties top layers so the families feel content that the vicinity of the area of their cremated loved ones has been fully collected, then we should. Once the cremated iwi has been fully removed it should be sealed in an agreed upon container that should be considered a preserve area memorial location for families and friends to visit. This location needs to be negotiated and agreed upon by the community. There’s not that many sites found where human remains were essentially cremated. They can all be contained and sealed forever where those iwi with some ash should be honored at the chosen memorial site. The families of the loved ones should be part of the process of what type of memorial/monument they want, and it should definitely stay within Lahaina near the burn zone.
While FEMA is still here, we need to take advantage of their assistance while we are contracted with them as long as we can be. They are agreeing to transport and pay for toxic debris removal then let’s utilize them to their best of abilities for the less than 3 years we have them with us, and we can utilize them to keep filling and sealing the containers like they have been doing. Plus, if there are possible extensions considered past this timeline showing continued progress then the work will still be completed. Once the highly toxic top ash level that once is confirmed to have no iwi in the approximate ~ 6” to 12” as needed, which is a small amount overall should get scooped up and sealed in containers and taken off island with the batteries and everything else they are already shipping to a superfund 3 hazardous waste facility to be properly processed. There is additional space in the EPA dumpsters, and they should get fully optimized and stuffed since we are already paying for those to go off island through FEMA debris clean up funds. Let’s Focus on filling the highly toxic ash from the “red zone” and “orange zone” areas where transformers, chemical storage, batteries, dioxins, asbestos, (pre 1950s homes) lead, and power walls were lead-acid and household batteries, etc. as well as the old concrete and rebar that can’t be reused; should be removed and prioritized to steadfast the process and reduce the amount of toxic ash and trash that would be left on island.
If it’s decided to leave the remnants of the lesser toxic ash and soil on island, I agree that it should stay in the area that it occurred within Lahaina district vicinity of the island only. The County should use the Conex boxes FEMA recommended that are the large 40’ sealed containers to seal all the rest of the toxic ash and soil that they can’t remove off island. I don’t see that there is a set number on how many containers it would take or how many are available so that would need to be studied but say its 5,000 or more sealed containers maybe there is a way to dedicate a section of Lahaina that is a blue rock pit that could be found and purchased if need be and lined with concrete and then plastic layers and then fill and stack a portion of the sealed containers into the pit and cover them up to a new level ground. A portion to hide the abundance of them would be buried safely within the blue rock zone pit (keep it out of the aquifer areas of course). If we needed additional fill to cover the containers and pit to even out the land more, we could possibly dredge offshore, if need be, to cover the majority of the containers. Then with the rest of the containers that don’t fit in the pit we could stack them over the pit area and turn it into a large, tall memorial maybe stacking them into some sort of creative, artful, tactful memorial monument painted with murals of this historical town that can be memorialized for the town and community.
In some sections of Lahaina if they decided to dredge the sand from offshore, this could also help bring up grade to parts of Lahaina from erosion issues too and then we could make another safe layer of fill over some areas to bury all the new proposed underground utilities at the same time and raise it and stabilize the land for future development and secure protection of the ocean and aquifer while working to protect and preserve the most important historic sites left in Lahaina that we can. We need to take notes of what past similar places with similar issues have done and learn and progress from them.
I do agree with others as another option that we need to explore the potential of bioremediation to neutralize heavy toxins in the land shown in multiple use cases to be effective biological methods for detoxifying contaminated sites. These can be effective for wildfire toxin neutralization as well. Because so often the toxic waste is just taken away to a facility far away (often on other indigenous land or pushed into the ocean off barges) and so there’s a lot lacking in our studies that we could study to inform future fires and the way we heal and restore land lost to fire or toxic matters.
For the last 6 inches or more of the contaminated soil layer that can’t make it into the containers, this could get cleaned up off the properties and maybe stabilized in a dedicated portion of land or left in place and mixed with locally sourced compost and proven natural detoxifiers like selected fungi mushrooms or hemp. Then the use of agricultural grade water in with compost tea on timers and introduce indigenous microorganisms collected from above the burn scar would be helpful to restore the soil, the only main issue is that we know that it could take decades to get the soil to recover. The native microorganisms are an unseen brilliance so deeply overlooked and takes patience. I agree to using these methods in some way to detoxify the land for future generations giving time for the land to heal where it can.
There are so many people on the island and around the World that are dedicating their time and resources to try and come up with the best solutions for this complex issue. I really hope that the County, the Mayor, and the “Green” Governor stay open to new design considerations to protect our future generations. I understand the worry of the Community through past public work issues on why there could be the high probability that the temporary site could turn into a permanent landfill site, so we should try to come to a better agreement now on this serious situation and just work on preparing a permanent disposal site. Mahalo for reading this and Mahalo for all the aloha you show our community. Your hard work and diligence is much appreciated.
Mahalo Nui.~ Noelani H. - a concerned citizen.
Was the sight for temporary made because at a time Oluwalu was cosidered for a permanent sight?
Aloha, my name is Noelani Cabral Hessler. I come forward as a Kama’aina born and raised resident of Wailuku, Maui. I want to start off with my opposition to this temporary toxic dump site project location in Olowalu. After listening to the entire presentation and testimonies, I agree that we need more choices and solutions. I understand the swiftness we are trying to accomplish but it is clear to me that the majority understands that Olowalu is sacred for many reasons to many generational ohanas and carries iwi in the grounds dating back past the Olowalu Massacre. Anyone who read the Archaeological Inventory Survey and Cultural Impact Assessment for the former Olowalu Town Project that dates to 2012 or older studies from the 90’s by CSH, would help them to better understand how many archaeological sites are situated within the Olowalu community and gulches. If that Puu within the temporary APE does have a heiau on the top or the County finds more information that it was used as a tool to teach ancient navigation and what some were calling the gateway to Tahiti, then I agree we need to do more research and protect and preserve this area better. With Olowalu, being an officially elected Blue Zone for its superior healthy community and aquifer then this needs to be protected as well. The reef ecosystem in the area that our ocean wildlife depends on cannot be undermined; not even temporarily, because temporarily in nature can become long-term contamination with serious repercussions to our already endangered wildlife.
I don’t agree to our central Pu'unēne quarry landfill being the solution to the toxic landfill site either because we know debris could fall out and spread over the Pali and the entire island and the winds are super intense in the central valley too. We are not called the windy isle for no reason. We should not consider contaminating the entire island so soon. There is no way these toxic landfills should be in any way open air either. Kaho`olawe is a big No as well for many reasons especially that the government spent 400 million to clear their toxic trash from that island over the last decades and KIRC has been working so hard to restore it with native plants.
If the ash and trash was moved anywhere it needs to be completely and always sealed and tested to make sure it won’t leak. I’ve worked around the burrito wrapping technique on projects and they always leak a little bit. This is a different sort of toxic trash that needs to be treated completely differently than our normal daily household trash. If there needs to be a moratorium on this case until we have a solidified plan, then maybe we should to help save on government funding, precious time, and big mistakes. I know these decisions are not easy and I hope you all consider your choices carefully and/or come up with better solutions as the choices you make this term now holds the hands to our future generations and is a spotlight in this World.
I agree with the public opinion that we should double check to re-confirm we have collected all human remains that were or are missing. We should confirm with the direct families to see if they are content with the collection of their cremated loved ones in each area. Its obvious that it is difficult to separate out cremation iwi ash with burn ash so if there are needs to cut out further sections of properties top layers so the families feel content that the vicinity of the area of their cremated loved ones has been fully collected, then we should. Once the cremated iwi has been fully removed it should be sealed in an agreed upon container that should be considered a preserve area memorial location for families and friends to visit. This location needs to be negotiated and agreed upon by the community. There’s not that many sites found where human remains were essentially cremated. They can all be contained and sealed forever where those iwi with some ash should be honored at the chosen memorial site. The families of the loved ones should be part of the process of what type of memorial/monument they want, and it should definitely stay within Lahaina near the burn zone.
While FEMA is still here, we need to take advantage of their assistance while we are contracted with them as long as we can be. They are agreeing to transport and pay for toxic debris removal then let’s utilize them to their best of abilities for the less than 3 years we have them with us, and we can utilize them to keep filling and sealing the containers like they have been doing. Plus, if there are possible extensions considered past this timeline showing continued progress then the work will still be completed. Once the highly toxic top ash level that once is confirmed to have no iwi in the approximate ~ 6” to 12” as needed, which is a small amount overall should get scooped up and sealed in containers and taken off island with the batteries and everything else they are already shipping to a superfund 3 hazardous waste facility to be properly processed. There is additional space in the EPA dumpsters, and they should get fully optimized and stuffed since we are already paying for those to go off island through FEMA debris clean up funds. Let’s Focus on filling the highly toxic ash from the “red zone” and “orange zone” areas where transformers, chemical storage, batteries, dioxins, asbestos, (pre 1950s homes) lead, and power walls were lead-acid and household batteries, etc. as well as the old concrete and rebar that can’t be reused; should be removed and prioritized to steadfast the process and reduce the amount of toxic ash and trash that would be left on island.
If it’s decided to leave the remnants of the lesser toxic ash and soil on island, I agree that it should stay in the area that it occurred within Lahaina district vicinity of the island only. The County should use the Conex boxes FEMA recommended that are the large 40’ sealed containers to seal all the rest of the toxic ash and soil that they can’t remove off island. I don’t see that there is a set number on how many containers it would take or how many are available so that would need to be studied but say its 5,000 or more sealed containers maybe there is a way to dedicate a section of Lahaina that is a blue rock pit that could be found and purchased if need be and lined with concrete and then plastic layers and then fill and stack a portion of the sealed containers into the pit and cover them up to a new level ground. A portion to hide the abundance of them would be buried safely within the blue rock zone pit (keep it out of the aquifer areas of course). If we needed additional fill to cover the containers and pit to even out the land more, we could possibly dredge offshore, if need be, to cover the majority of the containers. Then with the rest of the containers that don’t fit in the pit we could stack them over the pit area and turn it into a large, tall memorial maybe stacking them into some sort of creative, artful, tactful memorial monument painted with murals of this historical town that can be memorialized for the town and community.
In some sections of Lahaina if they decided to dredge the sand from offshore, this could also help bring up grade to parts of Lahaina from erosion issues too and then we could make another safe layer of fill over some areas to bury all the new proposed underground utilities at the same time and raise it and stabilize the land for future development and secure protection of the ocean and aquifer while working to protect and preserve the most important historic sites left in Lahaina that we can. We need to take notes of what past similar places with similar issues have done and learn and progress from them.
I do agree with others as another option that we need to explore the potential of bioremediation to neutralize heavy toxins in the land shown in multiple use cases to be effective biological methods for detoxifying contaminated sites. These can be effective for wildfire toxin neutralization as well. Because so often the toxic waste is just taken away to a facility far away (often on other indigenous land or pushed into the ocean off barges) and so there’s a lot lacking in our studies that we could study to inform future fires and the way we heal and restore land lost to fire or toxic matters.
For the last 6 inches or more of the contaminated soil layer that can’t make it into the containers, this could get cleaned up off the properties and maybe stabilized in a dedicated portion of land or left in place and mixed with locally sourced compost and proven natural detoxifiers like selected fungi mushrooms or hemp. Then the use of agricultural grade water in with compost tea on timers and introduce indigenous microorganisms collected from above the burn scar would be helpful to restore the soil, the only main issue is that we know that it could take decades to get the soil to recover. The native microorganisms are an unseen brilliance so deeply overlooked and takes patience. I agree to using these methods in some way to detoxify the land for future generations giving time for the land to heal where it can.
There are so many people on the island and around the World that are dedicating their time and resources to try and come up with the best solutions for this complex issue. I really hope that the County, the Mayor, and the “Green” Governor stay open to new design considerations to protect our future generations. I understand the worry of the Community through past public work issues on why there could be the high probability that the temporary site could turn into a permanent landfill site, so we should try to come to a better agreement now on this serious situation and just work on preparing a permanent disposal site. Mahalo for reading this and Mahalo for all the aloha you show our community. Your hard work and diligence is much appreciated.
Mahalo Nui.~ Noelani H. - a concerned citizen.