All further “development” of the troubled project known as the Villages of `Aina Le`a has been halted as a result of an order of Judge Elizabeth Strance of the 3rd Circuit Court. Last month, Strance ruled that the County of … Continued
Over the last month, the County of Hawai`i Planning Department has taken several actions with respect to the projects of builder Scott Watson that were discussed in the December issue of Environment Hawai`i. The ‘Pepe`ekeo Palace’ On November 29, Hawai`i … Continued
From above, it looked like dregs in a coffee cup. Emerald green dregs. Green because the nutrients in the lake are so concentrated now that it’s only 10 to 20 centimeters deep. Lake Waiau, the most sacred water body in … Continued
The contested-case hearing officer has issued his findings on the Thirty Meter Telescope proposed to be built on Mauna Kea. The recommendations of attorney Paul Aoki, released on November 30, give the applicant University of Hawai`i-Hilo and the Thirty Meter … Continued
Nominee Lists — Still Secret: The terms of two members of the state Commission on Water Resource Management end on June 30. That means that, this session, the Legislature must approve someone to replace Neal Fujiwara, who is finishing up … Continued
If false killer whales could read, recent notices in the Federal Register would have had them keeping the midnight oil burning. For the most part, they probably would have liked what they read. On November 28, the National Marine Fisheries … Continued
Cross Conservation District rules — and perhaps also the Coastal Zone Management Act — off the list of land use laws that the Public Land Development Corporation is exempt from. On December 14, the state Board of Land and Natural … Continued
Nearly half of former Galbraith Estate land now owned by the state Agribusiness Development Corporation may wind up being leased to agriculture operations displaced by the 1,500-acre Ho`opili development of D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, LLC, in East Kapolei, O`ahu. Last month, … Continued
Susie Yong, our longtime office administrator, has died. She passed away the night of January 10 at her home in Hilo. She had celebrated her 63rd birthday just three days earlier. Her work at Environment Hawai`i was part-time, but no … Continued
Dead in the Water: Queen’s Treasure — the 65-foot luxury catamaran custom-built for Ka`anapali Tours, LLC — won’t be plying the Ka`anapali coast any time soon. On December 21, U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi issued an order vacating the jury … Continued