#shayne agawa

A Maui County Council committee voted 9-0 on Monday to recommend passage of a bill that would let the county provide temporary wastewater service to the new Central Maui School in Waikapū if the school opens before the county’s planned Central Maui wastewater plant is completed.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management has been selected to receive $3.6 million in federal funding to establish the first recycling center in West Maui, providing residents with additional options for disposing of recyclables, green waste and large, bulky items.

Department of Environmental Management officials now forecast the planned Central Maui Wastewater Reclamation Facility in Waikapū will cost from $298 million to $420 million, or two- to three-times higher than the $130.6 million project estimate published in the project’s final environmental impact statement in February.

Mayor Richard Bissen told state lawmakers Monday that his administration has shifted its focus from immediate wildfire recovery to housing delivery and large-scale infrastructure investments, forecasting the construction of approximately 3,000 affordable and workforce homes by 2030.

With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has selected Maui County to receive a $3.6 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant to establish the first-ever waste collection centers in West Maui.

Michael Petersen was sworn in Friday as deputy director of the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management. Before joining the County, Petersen served as Operations Manager for Waste Pro Hawaiʻi in Kīhei.

Calling it a “significant milestone,” the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that Lahaina’s County sewer system is now 100% active. The progress comes as homes and businesses look to rebuild after the August 2023 wildfire.

Sewer service is now active for 153 properties from Kenui Street to Dickenson Street, makai of Honoapiʻilani Highway. With this latest update, approximately 90% of Lahaina’s County sewer system is now active.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced today it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property that does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active, for 61 properties in the Kelawea Mauka area.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active, for 28 properties in Lahaina including: 25 lots in Kuhua Camp area; and three lots on Lahainaluna Road.

The County of Maui has entered into conditional agreements with a subsidiary of Nan, Inc., Hawai‘i’s largest, locally owned construction company, to purchase approximately 49 acres of previously quarried land and 30 acres of land currently being quarried adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill. The 30 acres of land would be available upon completion of quarrying activities. The $4 million agreements, pending approval by the Maui County Council, aim to secure a suitable, long-term disposal site for debris from the August 2023 Lahaina wildfires and address the island’s future landfill needs.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red” to “green,” meaning sewer service is now active for 15 properties including: one lot on Kaili Place, six lots near Kopili and Kuhua streets, and eight lots near Mall Place and Ainakea Road.

Sewer service status was recently amended for several properties in West Maui, making service active for several lots near Kopili St. and Puiki Place, as well as one lot near the Kuhua St. and Lahainaluna Road intersection.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active for a property, in the following areas: Near Puʻunoa Place and Ala Moana Street near the Jodo Mission; and south of Lahainaluna Road near Paunau Street.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is reopening applications for its fiscal year 2025 Green Grants Program to support sustainability projects in Maui County.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Wastewater Reclamation Division today announced its amendments to the sewer service status in Lahaina’s fire-affected areas.

The County of Maui Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division has announced the third installment of its Sustainability Together: Community-led Regenerative Action speaker series from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, at the Maui Ocean Center Sphere. This session, titled “Grassroots Guardians: Battling Invasives in Maui County,” is being held during Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Month.

The Maui County Department of Environmental Management filed a complaint Tuesday in 2nd Circuit Court for condemnation of nearly 20 acres of former quarry land next to the Central Maui Landfill in Puʻunēnē.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management is partnering with nonprofit Mālama Maui Nui to provide a White Goods Appliance Collection pick-up and drop-off event for Lahaina residents directly impacted by the August 2023 fires.