The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council held its 184th meeting in December – virtually, as necessitated by the ongoing pandemic. None of the highly dramatic and controversial issues that have characterized many of the council’s meetings over the decades were … Continued
Board Continues Revocable Permits For Kaua‘i Utility’s Water Diversions On December 11, the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) barely mustered enough votes from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to secure a revocable permit to divert water from Wai‘ale‘ale … Continued
The Hawai‘i Supreme Court has rendered a decision that closes a chapter in the ongoing litigation over the planned ‘Aina Le‘a development. On December 17, the court ruled that the statute of limitations under a “catch-all” provision in state law … Continued
Last year, environmentalists and the development community jockeyed over bills aimed at revamping the City & County of Honolulu’s energy code and parking regulations to help mitigate or minimize climate change effects. In testimony to the City Council, organizations such … Continued
In April 2017, the state Commission on Water Resource Management voted to adopt the terms of a mediated agreement intended to end the years-long conflicts over the diversion and waste of stream water via the Kokeʻe and Kekaha ditch systems … Continued
Land Board Fines Trash Hauler $62,000 for Leaving Full Roll-Offs On State Land Being contrite might have helped, but John Guinan, Jr., owner of The Trash Man, LLC hauling company, chose to fight. He ended up with a fine nearly … Continued
Koʻolauloa Plan Advances: On November 19, the Zoning and Planning Committee of the Honolulu City Council voted to adopt a revised Sustainable Communities Plan for the windward Koʻolauloa area that limits Hawaiʻi Reserves, Inc., which manages the land in Laʻie … Continued
For years, the various owners of land in South Kohala where the ʻAina Leʻa development is proposed have struggled to move forward with their plans. The problems they have faced related to permitting and entitlements, but also to finances. The … Continued
It has been more than a year since the Big Island Dairy in Oʻokala, along the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island, shut down. The closure followed a series of disastrous spills of manure into streams that outraged residents and … Continued