KULA KAI NEWS

Written by Vernon Kalanikau

Although the homeless trash, garbage and drug paraphernalia items like needles, etc. has been mostly removed, there is a concern of how it was removed, who was contracted to remove trash, who is involved to coordinate the removal, only a Board of Health permit was issued for rodent control (no other permits), how much of bio-hazard materials was left in the soil, better yet, wetlands. 'Aha Moku O Kula Makai Council members Vernon Kalanikau and Robert Aldrich spoke with a women who claims the attorney for the property hired her firm to cleanup and haul away trash. She hired Brown Contracting or Brown Construction (she can't remember which name), she claims the County inspector walked the property earlier that day and a week ago. When asked who was the  inspector? She don't know.  We asked to walk the property because we are very concerned about the bio-hazard materials to the land. Also the grubbing, so we assume, we wanted to see for ourselves. Access was denied.  Please contact the attorney for permission.  There's a few large mounds of trash and brush mix from what we saw, that will be spread out flat on the land because the cost for removal has escalated. This is not PONO and more to this story for sure as we continue to ask the right questions.

KAʻONO'ULU MECO SUBSTATION IS A GO

Nov.15, 2017

Written by Vernon Kalanikau

After 10 years of planning for the much need additional support power supply for South Maui and Makena, MECO will continue ground work early next year. The work was halted after MECO received calls of concerns like, the black cloth is going up again, is the Mega Mall doing something again, possible dynamite was used on ground work, cultural sites nearby a concern and more questions raised. Mahina Martin - Community Relations for MECO asked community groups who had concerns if we could all meet to discuss the project itself, time frame and what is involved to do the work.  The Hewahewa Ohana was also invited at the table because they have lineal rights to this property.

The main concerns that were brought up is location, the size of the substation, the left over fill being stored on the property, surface runoff and flooding, disturbing nearby cultural sites, grubbing, dynamite use. Arch. monitor is on site. Communication to all parties is priority through the entire project.

'Aha Moku O Kula Makai Council wanted to make sure the lineal descendants to the property have a say at the table. The Council has deferred to the Hewahewa and Liu Ohana and support their decision to this project. The Council is aware of the cultural significance to this area and asked for continuous communication with Kula Makai Council.  Wailuku Moku Council Foster Ampong was present and asked for ACMP which was provided.

All parties felt good about the talk story.  Now MECO can move forward.

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WELLNESS CLINIC IN KEOKEA WETLANDS

Nov. 14,15  2017

Written by Vernon Kalanikau

The property in question is next to Dr. Keller's Vet Clinic off South Kihei Road. Adjacent property owner is requesting from the County a zone change from R-3 Residential to B-2 Community Business. If granted, the owner plans to build a Wellness Clinic possibly offering diverse practices from different cultures in healing/holistic services.

There was much opposition from the community and organizations to prevent this zone change to be approved for reason of cultural gathering rights and practices, native plants and species, flooding to nearby residents, water quality affects to the wetlands and more comments from the public that did not support this project.

After 2 days of testimonies , and the community is saying NO, the County Council could not agree to vote on this Bill until a later date.   We will keep the community inform when it comes up again and again.

The 'Aha Moku O Kula Makai Council stands by its decsion to oppose this Bill for zone change and "NO" to building a Wellness Clinic on wetlands.

MASS DEAD FISH IN LA'IE MULIWAI

Nov. 1, 2017

Explained by Cody Nemet

We went to the home of Charlene who lives next to La'ie river. It came to our attention that there was some kind of chemical imbalance happening in the river after the last big storm that brought a great amount of overflow from Mauka down into the river. The result was a mass amount of fish deaths, 500lbs. of mullet and talapia in 5 days. She had first moved into the area in 2011 and from then till now only experience this phenomenon happening one time prior. This other phenomenon which happened 2 years ago in November did not involve a big rain, instead she claims it to be from some sort of cabbage lilly pad plant that killed 40 birds, mostly ducks, along a mass amount of fish from oxygen deprivation. She was told this by Uncle Skippy Hau and Kimokeo that this plant was sucking up the oxygen out of the water and poisoning the invertibrates through lack of oxygen, in turn poisoning the birds feeding off the invertibrates and the same affect to the fish. She has claimed that they get big rains in the past but had never seen this kind of behavior before. She has seen the river in different colors from red, dark green but never black.

She claims that the Pacific Whale Foundation used to do water testing on a regular basis for a year and a lady name Robin would come and take samples. She claims that Robin was not getting the results she wanted from the lab and would only get results for certain chemicals like ekoli. No testing has been done since. If any she said one or two more times by DLNR in the last 7 years with no follow up.

She claims this to be the last catch basin that collects majority of the flow from Mauka and that before every big rain, the County usually comes and digs a little to help the water push through to the ocean allowing flow to run through but this last rain the County never came and so the water never had chance to break through.

She installed several aerators inside the pond to help provide oxygen. She claims mangroves has been there for over 100 years with a thriving ecosystem attached to it. This is the only mangrove habitat I've seen in this Moku. During the last tsunami in Japan, a major flow came into the pond and knocked down some of their wall foundations. She said it was declared an emergency situation so she along with Kimokeo, they got a huge crane to come in and aggressively push/clear much of the growth back to make way for what we see today which is clear pathway of water. After this issue with the birds, she claims studies were done saying that the culprit was due to cabbage/like lilly. Her and friends from a malama group came in to clear back the grass and cabbage/lilly and hauled it away.

There is 6-8 acres of wetland with an open parcel on the opposite side of the river that got sold to a lady from Connecticut. No house yet, but designs were sold to her along with the property from realtor. No archeological sites to her knowledge has been discovered besides the massive Kuapa style fishpond fronting this property. Her property was built in 2000 with no archeological study that she knows of. The other property hasn't been built yet so we need to inquire that one be done for sure. That owner has run into issues already being that her property does not meet FEMA standards regarding her location so close to the ocean and wetlands, so she is stuck at the moment to build.

She has seen papio, aku, moi golden talapia, barracuda, and maybe awa swimming in the pond.

Jacob brought up the fact that there is an existing pump structure dilled with sand that exists in the pond that drains to the ocean, and it is obvious from Makai that it stretches out into the sea and was designed long ago for manageable drainage. She claimes it does not work because its clogged and it was constructed in the 50's. This was an interesting exchange as in what Jacob said would be her easier bet to use an exsisting device that was put there for a reason. She was optimistic.

She claims Rae Chandler was the head of the community work day group but no longer is. Community work group cut back the trees and brush, mulched it and threw it back near the river against Rae's wishes. This might be a red flag. She also may know of archeological studies done to this area. Charlene claims to have seen this river at its peak about 2 years ago before the phenomenon attracting all sorts of life and even nene goose. 10 or more. And DLNR came to document the nene.

HOW DO YOU OWN A RIVER?
KULANIHAKO'I