I put the link to the Surfrider Foundation illness report on the upper right hand side along with the Health Department phone number.

Be sure to report all your staph cases to both places. If we start documenting this, we get the hard data to back up what we all know by experience — the County of Maui is making us sick and endangering our health.

Go to: http://www.surfrider.org/oceanillness.asp

Did you know that this water has not been disinfected (treated to R1) and is full of the same bacteria that came out of your toilet?

At any time the EPA can fine Maui County over a quarter of a million dollars per day until we clean up that water to R1. And we’d need to continue operating until we came into compliance. Six
months? More?

Four months of fines would pay the $30,000,000 to bring to the Kahului wastewater to R1 and install re-use piping. The prudent, fiscally responsible course of action is to begin work immediately.

Now that this is all public record, if another paddler goes into intensive care due to staph or (God forbid) is one of the 200 people per year who die of sewage-related MRSA in Hawaii each year, the ensuing lawsuit is going to be crippling to the County.

Bottom line: NONE of this water is being treated to R1. Therefore ALL of the water is loaded with bacteria.

We’re already seeing the headlines aimed at tourists: SWIMMING IN SEWAGE. Is delay disinfecting this injection well water really worth the potential cost of continuing to pump bacteria-laden water into our ocean?

Call your Councilmember. Call the Mayor.

Karen Chun
Save Kahului Harbor

Given we’ve got professors stating the high levels of MRSA bacteria are most like from the injection wells, it will be a slam-dunk case.

Still a horrible waste of money in a time when we are furloughing teachers, Ag inspectors, social service workers, etc.

Do you ever go to Akaku? They have what is called a Hot Set where anyone can sign up to do a live PSA sort of 15 minutes to get in a 3 minute message. They are pretty short staffed these days, I know as we just had layoff’s there and I am one of the laid off! I know that the hours are being cut, however I hope it won’t affect the Hot Set’s.

In the meantime my show will go on, as long as the doors are open and that is pretty scary at this point as well. Drop me a line.

Our water and lack of clean water is so at risk here. Mahalo for calling attention to this issue.

Tia Christensen
SGTV

The “high speed” part is one of the most objectionable aspects of the Superferry. Not only does it make it expensive and fuel-guzzling but it endangers whales.

A lower-speed ferry system is actually a good idea. Halve the speed, use 1/4th the fuel and take six hours instead of three and then you are looking at a transportation system that is affordable.

Quoting in order from the measure http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/bills/HB2667_.pdf:

“While the Hawaii superferry operation had its shortcomings, rocky start, and questionable financial forecast, it proved to be a very successful mode of transportation of both persons and property between the islands of Maui and Oahu.”

“At minimum, the authority shall operate one high speed passenger and vehicular ferry vessel, with a minimum capacity of four hundred passengers and __ hundred vehicles, capable of operating at thirty knots or more, for the carriage of passengers and property between the major islands, and other small vessels, as needed, for service to the between the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai and other routes.”

Interesting key limitations and exclusions in this paragraph. First, notice that this has to be a “high speed” ferry. Also notice that it has to be able to carry “vehicles.” The high speed, vehicular ferry is an uncommon combination throughout the whole U.S. There are only a few vessels in the U.S. that meet that requirement. It also goes to the crux of two of the key points of contention with the HSF vessels. But further, notice the requirement of at least “four hundred passengers and __ hundred vehicles” capacity requirement. That differs from the unconstitutional Act. 2 that required 500 passengers and 200 vehicles capacity, a key point that made it unconstitutional. The 400/100 opens it up to more vessels in the U.S. that meet that requirement, but none of them are high speed ferries except for the Akakai, Huakai, and The Cat (The Cat not made in the U.S.). The 400/100 requirement might though qualify smaller fast ferries (outside the U.S./or yet to be made) that might better match the operational requirements of the fuel consumption/distances traveled between the Hawaiian Islands.

“§ -4 Initial operations. (a) The authority, as soon as practicable, shall engage in communications with the United States Department of Transportation and the United States Maritime Administration relating to federal funding assistance and the possible purchase or lease of the former Hawaii superferry vessels Alakai and Huakai or other ayailable suitable vessels to commence its operations.”

First, notice again the lower case “superferry.” Also notice the sloppy misspelling of “ayailable” from the original. But also a point to be clear on about the quote, “or other ayailable suitable vessels,” at present there are no other qualified fast ferry vessels made in the U.S. that meet the requirements of this bill, other than the Alakai and Huakai, so that last open-ended statement is intentionally vague and deceptive. But also it is clear from the above paragraph that the drafters of this in the Legislature hope for some sort of sweetheart preferential treatment and maybe even funding from the U.S. DOT, MARAD, or the Federal Government in general. That’s the Obama Federal Government that just proposed more than a trillion dollar deficit for the coming year and the foreseeable future, not having included pork projects like this in their proposal thus far. This is just “passing the buck” on fiscal responsibility by those who vote for this. Either that or we are talking about state subsidies for a money losing service over properly funding things such as public education…

“The authority shall have access on a priority basis into all harbors and small boat facilities operated by the department and the department of land and natural resources…”

So a key aspect of this bill would be subsidizing a state run ferry service, most likely at a loss, to compete with a number of private sector companies by water and air…

“The authority shall have all the rights, obligations, and duties of a common carrier of persons and property in its ferry system operations, including the right to a certificate of public convenience and necessity…”

Who is to determine that? The Legislature or the PUC? Will you study that to determine if there is really ‘need’? Or just vacantly declare it so in this bill?

“SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2010.”

Good LUCK with that.

Bill Status and notices:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2667

Notice that Souki and Say’s HB2667 does not mention HRS 343, the Environmental Law.

Perhaps, to avoid detection they will pass another bill with
a provision to exempt this “State Ferry” from the
Environmental legislation. Otherwise there would be a
considerable delay in implementing this.