Kahului Harbor cleanup planned on May 2-3; includes removal of vehicles on May 6

Fifty-four trucks and cars, many inoperable, will be towed from the state’s Kahului Harbor on May 6, state officials announced. A team from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement placed notices on each of the vehicles on Monday.

The notices warn owners that their car or truck is parked illegally in a state boating facility, which is a violation of one or more laws under Hawai‘i Administrative Rules. During yesterday’s posting, 27 people were also advised that the state and a contractor would be cleaning up the harbor on May 2 and 3.

State officials say multiple community complaints have noted the accumulation of rubbish and personal items throughout the harbor’s open areas and parking lots. People living at the harbor are advised to pack up their personal belongings, and anything left behind will be hauled off.

DLNR reports that social services providers have been visiting the harbor daily for the past two months and 10 individuals accepted assistance and have moved into temporary or transitional housing. Maui County is holding space for the remaining people should they decide to transition into more permanent housing, according to a department news release.

DOBOR Administrator Ed Underwood said, “We recognize the plight houseless individuals face and the extraordinary high cost of living on Maui and across the state. However, our boating facilities are open to everyone and it is not appropriate for certain individuals to decide to set up living quarters and to literally trash out places that are owned by all the citizens of Hawai‘i. Currently the harbor area looks like an abandoned vehicle junk yard and we have an obligation to make sure it is clean for the many boaters, fishers, and recreationalists who utilize our facilities on a daily basis.”