Rob Weltman

Maui Group’s response to Maui County’s intent to file suit against fossil fuel industry

Today, Maui County announced its intent to file a lawsuit to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for their role in the climate crisis. For over fifty years, the fossil fuel industry knew that their products—oil, gas and coal—would cause detrimental impacts to the world’s climate. Instead of acting for the greater good, the industry doubled down on production and spent millions on alternative science and misinformation campaigns.  In response to Maui County’s announcement, the … Read more

Again, the Fish and Wildlife Service lets the Hawaiian Hoary Bat down

The federal Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) looked at the request from four wind farms on three Hawaiian islands to drastically increase the number of opeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian Hoary Bats) “taken” during their project lifetimes. It considered three options: No changes to the existing Habitat Conservation Plans. The wind farm operators would have to live within their committed limits on “take”. Auwahi is already past its estimated 25-year “take” and Kahewawa II is getting close. The … Read more

West Maui Reefs Horribly Degraded

These underwater pictures from the reef off of Kahekili Beach Park show the extent of the damage suffered in the last several years. Runoff, global warming and El Nino events have added to the attack on this precious and irreplaceable resource, but a significant contributor is the release of treated wastewater high in nitrogen and phosphorous through the Lahaina injection wells. These “nutrients” stimulate the growth of algae that smother the corals. Despite the scientific … Read more

Maui County Council petitioned to settle Lahaina injection wells case

August 28, 2019 #injectionwells #maui #petition A petition with 15,962 names was handed over to Maui County Council Chair Kelly King this morning, asking the County to settle the Lahaina injection wells case rather than pursue it to the Supreme Court, and to invest in eliminating ocean pollution instead of continued litigation. A large banner had a small photo taken in the waters off Kahekili Beach Park (where treated wastewater is released) for each of … Read more

Citizens Deliver Petitions Urging Maui County to Settle Lahaina Injection Well Case

For immediate release: Wednesday, August 28, 2019 Contact: Mahesh Cleveland, Earthjustice, (808) 599-2436 x6621 Citizens Deliver Petitions Urging Maui County to Settle Lahaina Injection Well Case   Wailuku, Maui, HI — Today, Sierra Club and the Surfrider Foundation, with support from Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund and West Maui Preservation Association, delivered two petitions to Maui County Council Chair Kelly King. The petitions, signed by over 15,000 Sierra Club and Surfrider Foundation members nationwide, urges the Maui … Read more