1)Russell Sparks from the Aquatics Division of DLNR recently presented results from a study that indicated a direct correlation between wastewater injection wells and increased algal blooms and cover in near shore Hawaiian waters. The increase of algae results in a severe reduction in coral cover. In Maalaea Harbor, a site located alongside an injection well, the coral cover has decreased by over 90% since 1995. The other injection well sites on Maui have experienced similar losses of coral cover.
What is your position on wastewater injection wells in Maui County?
What ideas do you have for developing alternative methods of disposing of or using treated effluent?
I have supported redirecting treated R-1 effluent to non- potable water uses for around 10 years. I believe that we should find public and private funding to create additional treatment , storage capacity and delivery lines to transport the treated water for irrigation of parks, community gardens and community beautification projects. I would also like to see some used for ponds to give wildlife habitat and support diversified ag.
2)With previous climate prediction models grossly underestimating global warming, Maui as an island needs to be concerned with the implications of drastic climate change. Maui's unique coral reef ecosystems sustain our island life and are a large draw for tourism. A slight change in temperature or increase in CO2 in our oceans can result in ocean acidification, or basically dissolving of the coral reefs. Global warming and increased CO2 emissions pose immediate threats to our near-shore reefs, our way of life and island commerce. What ideas do you have for curbing Maui's carbon dioxide emissions?
Maui has three major sources of CO2 emissions: Aircraft, powerplants and vehicles.Our Kahului power plant is a dinosaur and even the Ma'alaea facility puts out plenty of greenhouse causing emissions. I support a program of energy efficiency retrofits that begins with MECO's largest consumer of power: Maui County. Water and sewage treatment plants, community facilities and buildings all need to be converted as appropriate to renewable hot water systems , energy efficient motors and lights, solar, wind or wave powered systems wherever possible. County vehicles need to move towards locally generated renewable fuels..
3)Plastic bags create a wide range of threats to Maui's environment. Studies show that only a small percentage of disposable plastic grocery bags are recycled. The rest end up in our landfills, from which many of them are blown by the wind into our trees or into the ocean. Plastic bags floating in the ocean can take hundreds of years to photodegrade. Once in the ocean, plastics can be digested by animals that mistake them for food, causing digestive distress or even death. Maui County recently passed a bag ban that will go into effect in 2011. However, the bag ban still allows recyclable paper bags, which also carry a high environmental cost.
What is your position on moving up the start date of the plastic bag ban?
I would need to know if the ban required implementing rules. If so, It could take a year to finalize them. That doesn't mean that there could not be reduction goals set for use of plastic/paper bags while rules were being adopted.
Do you support amending the ban to include a small fee for paper bags, in other words the consumer would be asked to pay for the bag he/she may use or bring his/her own bag?
I support the fee, but rather than amending the bill immediately, I think it is best to begin with the plastic bags first to ramp up the educational effort to get folks to make the switch.
Do you think the ban can be effectively enforced?
Yes, with some time and education, but at this time it is unclear how the enforcement will be structured.
Do you support informational campaigns to educate the public about using reusable bags as opposed to plastic or paper bags? Very much so. I have followed this practice on my own for years.
4)The Hawaii Superferry has yet to submit a final Environmental Impact Statement, and yet plans to begin operating a second ferry within the next year. Pacific Whale Foundation (as well as many other environmentally-concerned organizations) are extremely concerned about the negative impacts the Superferry has already shown and could have on Hawaii's environment, including spread of invasive species, depletion of resources, high-speed whale strikes, and transport of banned or regulated items.
What is your position regarding the Hawaii Superferry?
As Chairperson of Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, I was one of the first to question the ferry's lack of accountability. In my opinion, there are still undisclosed impacts that are posed by the ferry and it's organization has been dishonest about many of them, including potential of injury to whales. Our law is clear: Public funds means public scrutiny and an EIS should have been done first. Sierra Club and Maui Tomorrow and allies have appealed the legal decision which upheld the special law made to exempt the ferry from review.
5)Currently no laws exist to regulate the collection of fish from Hawaii's waters. Such collection, if left unchecked, can cause serious harm to the overall health of ocean ecosystems. Under current conditions, regulation of collection is left in the hands of the collectors. This indicates an assumption that the collectors will value long-term sustainability as highly as immediate personal profit-a dubious premise on which to base legislative decisions.
Do you support greater regulation of aquarium collection in Maui's waters?
Yes, very strongly.
What methods do you propose to ensure enforcement of such regulations?
We need adequate DOCARE enforcement staff and perhaps a volunteer "eyes and ears" patrol as well as there area limited number of sites where fish are regularly collected.
6)While the exact manner in which SONAR affects marine mammals is not yet completely understood, numerous incidents and studies provide more than adequate evidence to indicate that there is a direct correlation between SONAR usage and marine mammal strandings. Recent stranding incidents in Cornwall, England and on Moloka'i occurred during or immediately after SONAR usage in the area. Studies done of various whale species in Hawaiian waters during this year's RIMPAC exercises may soon provide specifics as to the physiological effects of SONAR on marine mammals. Pacific Whale Foundation believes that, until such time as that connection is adequately understood and/or truly effective methods have been developed to ensure that no marine mammals are present in areas where SONAR is being used, SONAR testing in Hawaiian waters should be limited to areas where marine mammals are not known to be present.
What is your stance on Navy SONAR testing in Hawaiian waters?
I agree with the avoidance of marine mammal gathering areas if SONAR is to be used, but also feel that the need for SONAR testing has not been adequately proven.
7)The long-term sustainability of many of Hawaii's fisheries is in jeopardy. Populations of certain fish, including hapu'u, `opaka'paka, and onaga have been seriously depleted by overfishing. Some fishing techniques, such as gill netting and long lining, also pose threats to marine resources through ecosystem damage and unintentional by-catch of endangered species.
What policies do you support or propose to minimize overfishing and protect the sustainability of Hawaii's fisheries?
Bag Limits on specific fish; regulation of exploitive practices like gill nets & long-lining; management by local fishery councils and restoration of stream flows to help replenish fish stocks.
How will you balance the short-term demands of local fishermen against the need to protect our resources for the long-term? Fishery councils and focused on longer term goals (such as stream restoration) will help engage some fishers and build a larger conservation constituency. It's important to listen to people, some thing I've been doing for years,
Do you support informational campaigns to educate local consumers and retailers about the need to support sustainable seafood options?
YES, very strongly.
Do you support regulation of fishing methods (such as purse seining, long-lining, and gill netting) that can be detrimental to ocean habitats and endangered species? YES
8)A number of different interest groups, including fishermen, developers, and water sports enthusiasts, compete for access to Maui's shoreline and near shore waters. How do you propose to adapt to competing demands for these resources and ensure that all users are guaranteed equal and fair access?
First, We must make every effort to expand the coastal areas that are available for public use. I support expansion of Baldwin beach and hookipa beach parks, Palauea beach park, Makena Beach park, and protection for Olowalu shoreline, Honolua bay, Lipoa Pt and Windmills beach. The Big Island is voting on a $100 million bond issue to set up a fund to purchase their irreplaceable beaches. Maui needs to think BIG.
Then we need to involve local community councils in resource management decisions (like the neighborhood boards in Honolulu) to help assure a fair review of competing uses.
9)The most accurate projections currently available of the potential effects of global warming on coastal areas indicate that we will almost certainly be faced with coastal inundation (among other consequences) in the near future. Experts recommend developing decisive preemptive measures immediately to mitigate potential threats to coastal areas. They warn that, if such measures are not adapted now, we will eventually be faced with the much more difficult and costly task of trying to clean up problems that could have been prevented, or at least minimized.
What sorts of adaptive management strategies do your propose Maui County adopts to protect coastal areas from potential inundation and other consequences of climate change?
As a member of the General Plan Advisory committee, we are already discussing the need to factor rising sea levels into our planning decisions and policies. Our Kahului sewage treatment plant and generating plant will need to be rebuilt inland and with more sustainable technologies. The MECO Maalaea plant may also be affected. Policies of strategic retreat are being proposed for coastal areas in the Maui island Plan and these will require cooperation among various agencies.
As a member of the maui tomorrow advisory board, I am recommending that lowlying coastal areas in South, Central and West Maui be left undeveloped to serve as a buffer for rising sea levels. This includes areas like the lands mauka of Baldwin beach park (a FEMA flood zone that citizen effort has been successful in including as Open Space in the Maui island Plan Draft maps, lands mauka of Makena State Park are being proposed by citizens for a cultural district with no development as are the low-lying lands of Palauea beach, and North Kihei. West Maui lands will also be affected and additional mauka lands should remain open to leave a coastal buffer zone, especially near stream outlets.
We need to map and protect our forgotten wetland areas throughout the county to help preserve capacity for rising waters to settle. This kind of approach will take funding. A special improvement district could be created and funds raised through assessments (special Taxes, in other words) or the bond issue discussed above could be used.
10)Hawaii was once a sustainable nation. With its ideal growing climate and ocean resources, unlimited sunshine, waves and wind, Hawaii is one of the few places that boasts the potential to return to a more sustainable model. Currently the mainland serves as our lifeline bringing fuel, food and amenities to the islands. What programs do you support that would help Maui return to a more sustainable island? I am already working with several groups promoting sustainable food, energy and living practices through Maui Tomorrow and the South Maui Sustainability Group. We need specific goals for food self sufficiency based upon an accurate assessment of our potential lands and other resources. We also need to work towards more regional self-sufficiency in food, water and energy. Current water "ownership" patterns that are being challenged by citizens , will need to shift to truly allow the average person to grow more food.
Government has an important role to play -providing education and support for regional centers to help promote sustainable practices. Such centers, which already exist, in part , in most regions could offer a certified kitchen to prepare local products, a greenwaste/much center to avoid long drives to the landfill, a rental pool for large gardening tools like a rototiller, instruction classes in gardening, energy and other topics and a gathering place for community events, farmers markets etc.
Do you support educational programs in our schools to introduce the sustainable concept to local children and programs that would educate Maui County's people about the actions they can take to support sustainable island living? YES, very strongly.
11) As coastal development continues at a rapid pace, Maui's coastal open spaces are threatened. Some of the open spaces that are protected have deteriorated due to lack of funding or stewardship. Rapid coastal development not only limits the amount of recreational area, but also creates environmental threats such as non-point source pollution, shoreline erosion and lighting issues that threaten endangered sea turtles.
What strategies would you adopt to preserve Maui County's shoreline open spaces? How would you provide stewardship for those areas? How would you propose to fund these programs?
See above, no. 8 & 9. The Community land Trust model is a good one for long term stewardship. I would support on site Kahus or caretakers for every park, to bring back the days of individual responsibility for our aina.
As for off site pollution, Maui needs a department of well trained monitors to constantly check on the health of our natural systems and to act as enforcement for the polies we have in place to promote "best management Practices" and let our natural systems help keep our waters clean. This will involve the end of injection wells, restoration of wetlands and riparian channels and restoration of some nearshore ecosystems that have been degraded (ie dune systems, etc)
