#Army Corps of Engineers

With the transportation of debris from the Lahaina fire to its permanent site in Central Maui nearing completion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun preparations to restore the land used for the temporary debris location in Olowalu.

Waiola Church members are eagerly awaiting the call from the Army Corps of Engineers to notify them when their property is next for cleanup. The church is among the properties that have been put off until the end of the cleanup process because of their historic characteristics and physical hazards. 

The County of Maui announces an informational workshop aimed at assisting owners whose properties were destroyed in the August wildfires, and who have not signed up for government-assisted clean-up.

The Army Corps of Engineers completed its final phase of the federal wildfire response in Kula ahead of schedule last month, with their focus now shifting to West Maui. Volunteers in Kula say there’s more to be done and the remaining cleanup likely rests on the shoulders of residents.

Two West Maui locations and the Central Maui Landfill are under consideration as permanent disposal sites for an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of ash and debris to be removed from Lahaina wildfire burn zones.

In preparation for Phase 2, in which the US Army Corps of Engineers will support the Maui County Consolidated Debris Removal Program, USACE will conduct night work for 18 nights (excluding Christmas) at the temporary debris containment site being constructed in Olowalu.

The temporary campus project is expected to be completed by the end of February, when the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will take over to furnish and install telecommunication equipment.

Initially, the questionable structural integrity of the parking structure combined with the concern for possible hazardous materials in the water prevented a comprehensive search by the Maui Police Department. Pumping will occur at night during low tide when water levels in the garage are lower.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is nearing the end of processing hundreds of thousands of lithium-ion batteries from burned electric/hybrid vehicles and solar battery energy storage systems from the Maui wildfires and shipping them to Nevada for recycling.

The US Environmental Protection Agency started work on commercial property zones to remove hazardous materials in Lahaina, Maui.

A coalition of Native Hawaiian Organizations has formed Hoʻōla Maui, which pledges to dedicate their technical expertise and organizational capacity to the clean-up effort of the August fires.

The Maui County Council is scheduled to take final action on Bill 86 about an alternative program for fire debris removal at a special 9 a.m. meeting at the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku.

Hawaiʻiʻs congressional delegation is urging the Army Corps to provide the Hawai’i Department of Education with the resources and support it needs to build a school to temporarily replace Kamehameha III Elementary School as quickly as possible. 

US Environmental Protection Agency incident commander Steve Calanog said, “We know the long rich and historic cultural significance of Lahaina. We have 25 cultural observers on our team to ensure that we proceed with respect.”

Oliveira is providing once-a-week updates on re-entry for four consecutive weeks, starting this week.  To date, the EPA had completed the removal of hazardous material at 300 properties in Kula and Lahaina. The official website, www.MauiRecovers.org, launched this evening to provide vital information and assistance, including re-entry data, to those affected by the destructive fires that started Aug. 8 on Maui.

In a speech on the House floor Thursday, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard urged President Obama to immediately halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline

The US Army Corps of Engineers begins work later this month to survey and sample the Kanahena Point area of South Maui that was used as a former bombing target and defense site.

A survey asking Maui, Molokai, and Lanai residents about actions they would take during a hurricane or tsunami will be mailed to randomly selected households in June.  The survey is sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Civil Defense and will be conducted by SMS Research.  Survey results will be used in preparedness […]

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono voted in support of a federal appropriations act that helped to secure $3,065,000 in funding for Hawaii. Maui’s ‘Iao Flood Control Project is one of six projects included in the request, which passed with a favorable 307-97 vote in the House.  The $250,000 ‘Iao allocation is expected to provide better protection […]