Over the last year, the members of the state Land Use Commission have not held back when it comes to expressing their interest in becoming more involved in the legislative process. They have objected to testimony given by their executive … Continued
By law, the Land Use Commission has nine members. Five are at-large, four are representatives of their respective counties. One of these is to have expertise in Hawaiian culture and traditions. At present, one seat is vacant. Two current members … Continued
CNMI-ning: Last month, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management moved forward with plans to open up to seafloor mining more than 69 million acres offshore of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. The action was part … Continued
In a letter to the Public Utilities Commission on March 25, Douglas Codiga, attorney for the Wailuku Water Company, reported that the recent severe storms so severely damaged its irrigation and water delivery systems that the company is on the … Continued
In February, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Office of the Chair, entered into a $250,000 non-bid contract with Sunrise Strategies USA LLC. The contract was to take effect March 7 of this year and run through September 6, 2027. … Continued
Above photo: A discharge from the Cox Drain in 2021, looking seaward. The drain is one of the outlets whose discharges are regulated under the NPDES permit issued in October. A decade ago, the state Agribusiness Development Corporation let lapse … Continued
Environment Hawaiʻi editor Patricia Tummons recently interviewed Ciara Kahahane, the deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources and effectively the executive director of the Commission on Water Resource Management. The focus of the discussion was the way … Continued
ADC Squatters: Last March, Environment Hawaiʻi reported on Pacific Biodiesel’s rent-free use of 1.53 acres of land owned by the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The ADC’s “Hawaiʻi Agribusiness Plan 2025” report, dated January 2026, states that the parcel, in Shipman Industrial … Continued
The administration of President Donald Trump is going full steam ahead with plans to allow mining of metal-rich nodules on the seafloor in international waters. In April, he signed Executive Order 14285, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources,” which … Continued
Dolphin, Whale Strandings: A study of dolphin and whale strandings on Hawaiian and other Pacific Islands from 2006 to 2024 found that nearly two-thirds of the stranded animals died as a result of human-caused injury or infectious disease. The research … Continued