February 2009

Whales, Dolphins Unprotected from Fishers: The Government Accountability Office has found that the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to take protective measures for 14 marine mammal populations that, by law, it is required to protect. Among them are Hawai`i … Continued

The annual Variance Report, published by the state Department of Budget and Finance, is a rich mine of information on the operation of Hawai`i government agencies. Here are a few tidbits: Average number of business days the Department of Taxation … Continued

As with most other state agencies, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is facing straitened circumstances as Hawai`i attempts to deal with forecasts of crashing revenues. From an authorized spending level of roughly $111.6 million for the current fiscal … Continued

The Auditor, State of Hawai`i. <i>Performance Audit on the State Administration’s Actions Exempting Certain Harbor Improvements to Facilitate Large Capacity Ferry Vessels from the Requirements of the Hawaii Environmental Impact Statements Law: Phase I [April 2008] and Phase II [December … Continued

Second only to sludge, auto fluff, also known as auto shredder residue or ASR, is one of the largest waste components in O`ahu’s Waimanalo Gulch landfill. In 2006, 29,786 tons of auto fluff were dumped into the landfill, accounting for … Continued

Once again, the City and County of Honolulu is in a pickle over the continued operation of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, O`ahu’s only municipal solid waste facility. The city’s special use permit from the state Land Use Commission, which … Continued