KCC group attacks illegal dumping

KAPAIA — “Enough is enough!” said Justin Carvalho Saturday morning in Kapaia.

Carvalho, a Kauai Community College faculty in carpentry and sustainability coordinator, organized about two dozen volunteers from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for Two-year Colleges, and members of the Kauai Community College Sustainability Club to help clear an area along Maalo Road in Kapaia that has been used as an illegal dumping area for years.

“We have an area of Maalo Road a further way up to be responsible for cleaning,” Carvalho said. “Compared to this place, that area of road is clean. I’ve seen this place get worse over the years. My dad has a business just up the road and we’ve seen this place get neglected for years.”

A member of the cleanup crew said they approached businesses in the area to get some help, informing them of the cleanup taking place Saturday morning.

Hawaii Rental Cars and Scooters and JC Sandblasting and Recycle Kauai Service lent their efforts to the cause, according to a KCC news release.

“People in the area know about this, but nothing has been done,” Carvalho said. “We even called the county about this problem, and nothing has happened. Enough is enough, already.”

Assembling in the early morning hours, the group toiled through the morning, fighting through the stench of rotting material to pull out mattresses, auto frames, discarded tires, chairs and old appliances in addition to filling a mountain of trash bags loaded with other waste material.

“We figured we would get through before the traffic going to Wailua Falls builds up,” Carvalho said. “We’re not going to spend the whole day here.”

Besides, he added, “Kauai Back Country told us they would donate 20 tubing adventures for the volunteers. That water is sure going to feel good.”