KILAUEA — Residents affected by the breach of Ka Loko Reservoir had an opportunity to meet with U.S. Rep. Ed Case during the congressman’s Talk Story session yesterday at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center. The majority of the dozen or so
KILAUEA — Residents affected by the breach of Ka Loko Reservoir had an opportunity to meet with U.S. Rep. Ed Case during the congressman’s Talk Story session yesterday at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center.
The majority of the dozen or so attendees were concerned about the status of debris cleanup.
“We live mauka (of Kuhio Highway),” said Margaret Furze. “There are piles of debris above us and should another incident happen, this is just another disaster waiting to take place.”
Furze — who owns property above the Morita Reservoir, which was disassembled following the breach of Ka Loko in March — said the breach caused them to lose a portion of their palm tree farm. Additionally, all of Furze’s banana plants were wiped out and a pond now sits where a stream once ran.
Because the Furzes became farmers less than two years before the dam breach, they are ineligible for some of the disaster relief programs.
Residents voiced concerns over their ineligibility for some forms of federal disaster aid, the new standing water providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the lack of any plans for restoring properties where irrigation systems were wiped out and toxic runoff and waste were buried in layers of silt.
Case noted each concern and urged citizens to fill out casework forms to get more specific answers on their individual questions and concerns.
The Hawai‘i Democrat also encouraged residents to work with county and state agencies so they would be ready to take action once the new budget takes effect.
Residents also questioned state regulations that prevented the use of air burners to help with the debris cleanup.
Watching a demonstration by a private contractor following the Ka Loko disaster, residents were impressed by the air burner’s ability to reduce debris to ash in short time.
Certain regulations, however, limit the size of branches that can be burned, and much of the debris along the Wailapa Stream is huge.
Residents also questioned the government’s loan program.
“In this age of expensive loans, we need grants,” John Hawthorne said. “We don’t need to be strapped by another loan.”
The Kilauea Talk Story was the second of four sessions hosted by Case throughout the island.
Two nurses came to the first session in Hanalei, as did Nestor Garcia and his wife, said Dean Toyofuku, Case’s Kaua‘i coordinator.
“The nurses got to spend about 45 minutes with the congressman,” Toyofuku said. “They had good quality time with both Case and Garcia.”
In Kekaha, Case’s Washington D.C. chief of staff Esther Kia‘aina said three people discussed a variety of subjects ranging from public education to trash on the beaches.
The final session at Wilcox drew over three dozen people who presented their cases on a variety of issues primarily focussing on the Superferry.
Kaikea Elias, who recently earned the 2006 World Surfing champion title for 12-year-olds, joined other community groups pressing Case to require Hawaii Superferry to obtain an Environmental Impact Statement before continuing any more work.
Elias, who also voiced concerns of a friend, Mike Coots, expanded beyond just the EIS. Both touched on the impact a high-speed, interisland ferry would have on an island recently voted No. 2 in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine.
Striking Wilcox nurses asked the congressman to write a letter to Hawaii Pacific Health’s chief executive, Chuck Sted, asking the hospital’s parent company to come to Kaua‘i for negotiations.
The nurses have been on strike for more than a month.
“Kaua‘i is under so much pressure,” Case said following the final session Sunday. “It’s obvious people don’t want to lose the Kaua‘i they love and they’re justified in having concerns.”
Traffic and development were also recurring concerns throughout the four sessions Sunday.
Case said one person in Kekaha told him, “I moved here for a reason — it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”
“Much tougher choices must be made by all levels of government to maintain the Kaua‘i we love,” Case said.
Case, who has now done 22 Talk Stories on Kaua‘i and 147 statewide since 2003, said he loved the sessions and will continue to host them as long as he’s in Congress.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
