(Posted December 23, 2013) The Land Use Commission’s approval of a controversial O`ahu housing development known as Koa Ridge has been tossed out by the state Supreme Court. In an opinion written by Associate Justice Paula A. Nakayama and signed … Continued
Posted 07/29/2013 To the surprise of probably no one, scientists at the University of Hawai`i have determined, once and for all, that indeed, there is a link between the treated wastewater from the Lahaina sewage treatment plant and nearshore water … Continued
Posted 07/11/2013 U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi has determined that Kaua`i County’s limit on new transient accommodation units – or TAUs – is the result of “an improper zoning initiative and … is invalid.” Kobayashi made the ruling in … Continued
Posted 07/03/2013 Readers of this space may recall that at a June 13 board “briefing” on proposed fishing rules for Maui, Lana`i and Hawai`i island, Board of Land and Natural Resources chair William Aila announced he had removed from the proposed … Continued
Posted June 18, 2013 Construction work on the Hu Honua power plant just north of Hilo has pretty well come to a halt — the result, apparently, of a dispute between unions representing boilermakers, on the one hand, and plumbers … Continued
Posted 06/14/2013 Back in 1997, Environment Hawai`i and Common Cause Hawai`i sued the Board of Land and Natural Resources for holding “briefings” (meetings by any other name) where public testimony was not allowed to be given. We won and the Land … Continued
Posted 04/29/2013 (Environment Hawai`i editor Patricia Tummons has been reporting on Wespac since 1994. This commentary reflects her personal view.) Enough is enough. Enough “complimentary” upgrades to swank hotel suites and first-class cabins. The bills may not reflect it, but someone … Continued
Posted 04/09/2013 Efforts by the Hawai`i County Council to outlaw aerial hunting of mouflon and sheep on Mauna Kea have been struck down by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright. Following a short hearing in Seabright’s courtroom on April 8, … Continued
Posted 3/29/13 An error in the Commerce Appropriations Act for 2013 could curb the catch of bigeye tuna by Hawai`i-based longline vessels just as the high-demand holiday season starts up. As readers of Environment Hawai`i may recall, in November 2011, … Continued
Posted 01/24/2013 The Hawai`i Department of Transportation has been notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that it may soon be indicted for criminal violations of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. On December 20, … Continued