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WAILUKU, Maui — County officials approved a plan to store a mountain of ash and debris from last year’s Lahaina wildfires, part of an emergency disposal strategy that faced intense opposition in recent weeks.
Critics had called the proposal both too hasty and too risky in its approach to mitigating a threat from the toxins left behind by the wind-driven inferno in Lahaina last August. But late Friday, the Maui County Council voted 6-2 to allow a fleet of trucks to begin depositing the material on a hillside in Olowalu, a small coastal enclave a few miles from Lahaina.
“I think we as a government are doing the best that we can,” said council member Tom Cook, who voted for the plan. “We are being responsible, and we’ll prove it over time.”
Other supporters on the panel agreed that it did not make sense to wait longer to move the ashes so that other disposal options could be explored.
“Lahaina needs our help. … Cleaning up Lahaina will give people hope,” said council member Shane Sinenci.
The decision comes amid complicated efforts to rebuild after the fires, which killed at least 100 people and destroyed more than 2,700 homes and other structures. The Maui council was under pressure from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move ahead with the disposal project to help speed a recovery that would allow thousands of displaced survivors and businesses to return to the historic tourist destination.
The county insists the plastic-lined pit in Olowalu creates a “controlled environment” that can safely secure an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of waste until a permanent site, built to meet strict regulatory standards, is ready. Officials faced skepticism that the stopgap measure would be truly safe — or temporary.
Opponents implored the Maui council to slow down and consider alternatives to an approach they say could create health risks for future generations from ashes laced with hazardous material like arsenic, lead and dioxins. A proposal to seal the waste in cargo containers and send them to existing toxic materials disposal sites on the mainland went nowhere after federal officials warned that it would cost billions of dollars and risk spreading contamination during transport.
Opponents also raised concerns that runoff could harm the sensitive Olowalu reef, home to the largest known manta ray population in the United States and a source of coral larvae for other reefs. An outspoken Olowalu farmer, Eddy Garcia, posted drone-shot videos on social media to chronicle heavy equipment excavating open land for the disposal site and energize protests over what he labeled a “toxic dump” in the making.
The council responded to the outcry by adding wording to the bill that explicitly prohibits the temporary Olowalu site from becoming permanent. But another motion that would have mandated a two-year deadline for removing all the dump’s contents to a permanent facility was voted down.
After wildfires ravaged the island of Maui, scenes from the ground show a decimated Lahaina town on Aug. 11. (Video: Zoeann Murphy/The Washington Post)
Still unclear is where and when a permanent disposal site would be built. Officials have expressed a desire to begin construction soon but haven’t set a timetable.
Plans for the permanent site call for it to be fitted with two layers of an impermeable material designed to contain pollution that could contaminate the air, ground and sea.
The majority of residents who spoke before the vote were against the Olowalu plan. But one, Robert Livingston, urged the panel to keep the focus on rebuilding Lahaina.
“We need to prioritize the people who suffer from the loss of a home,” Livingston said. “We need to prioritize the people of Lahaina.”
Source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/01/13/maui-wildfires-toxic-waste-lahaina/