General

Lahaina Injection Wells Frequently Asked Questions

What You Always Wanted To Know About The Lahaina Wastewater Injection Wells Case 1. The County Releases Wastewater Into The Ocean? After pressure from the community and from the EPA, the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility (LWRF) disinfects the wastewater with ultra-violet light to kill bacteria that are harmful to people. However, the resulting effluent is high in nitrogen, phosphorous and other chemicals that are harmful to the coral reef and to ocean life. 2. The … Read more

Forestry and Wildlife Service lets down the Hawaiian Hoary Bats

Comments to the Final PEIS for new Habitat Conservation Plans for four Hawaii wind farms The background to the proposed changes to the Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) for three Hawaii wind farms and the requirement for an initial HCP for one that never had one is that the take (harassment, damage, kill) of Hawaiian Hoary Bats has been much higher than anticipated since the projects launched. For some of the wind farms, there is also … Read more

Former EPA officials back greens in Clean Water Act case

Maui County, Hawaii, wastewater treatment facilities at issue in Supreme Court litigation. Warren Gretz/NREL Ellen M. Gilmer, E&E News reporter Greenwire: Monday, July 22, 2019 States, tribes, scientists and former EPA leaders lent their support last week to environmentalists engaged in a high-stakes Supreme Court battle over federal water protections. In a series of amicus briefs submitted Friday, the supporters argued that the Clean Water Act’s permitting program applies to pollution that takes an indirect … Read more

Welcome our new Group Manager, Kecia

Please extend a warm welcome to our new Maui Group Manager, Kecia Joy! For over thirty years Kecia Joy has been a dedicated environmentalist, marine biologist, educator, and wellness practitioner with experience as team leader, director, and co-creator of innovative projects. She aspires to serve the planet with integrity through the journey of inner growth and a profound connection to the natural world. Kecia strives to be a catalyst for the change we yearn to … Read more

9th Circuit Court Rules in Favor of SC Maui and allies!

Big Update! The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the county’s use of injection wells at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility since the early 1980s violates the federal Clean Water Act. Sierra Club Maui, Surfrider Maui, the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, and West Maui Preservation Association first brought the lawsuit in 2012. Read our lawyerʻs press release here.

Testify for #OxybenzoneFreeMaui!

This testimony action has now ended.   Maui County could be the first in the world to pass legislation phasing out the sale and use of oxybenzone and octinoxate-based sunscreens! Oxybenzone and octinoxate, two of the most common active ingredients in chemical sunscreens, are scientifically proven coral killers. We need to do everything we can to protect our reefs and the organisms that live off them. In December 2017, Maui County’s Council will vote on … Read more

Sand Mining Moratorium at the IEM (Item 33)

  October 2017 Moratorium Updates On the morning of Sept. 18th, IEM members Mike White, Yuki Lei Sugimura, and Riki Hokama announced they would not make the meeting, and so there was no quorum. The meeting went ahead with a GPS presentation demonstrating the exact areas where the moratorium would cover. Because there was no quorum, a vote on the moratorium was deferred. Absence of 3 council members prevents vote The moratorium (officially IEM item … Read more