Naʻe fakahā ʻe he Vahefonua Maui mo e Kau ʻEnisinia ʻa e Kau Tau ʻa ʻAmeliká (USACE), ʻi heʻenau fengāueʻaki mo e kau konituleki mo e ngaahi potungāue fakafederal, fakasiteiti, mo e fakalotofonuá, ʻi he ʻaho ní kuo ʻosi hono toʻo ʻo e ngaahi veve mei he ngaahi koloa fakakomesiale kotoa pē naʻe fakaʻauha ʻe he vela ʻo e vaotaá ʻi ʻAokosi 2023 ʻi Lahaina. Ko e kau ma’u koloa ko ia ‘oku nau lava leva ‘o kole ha ngofua langa ko e konga ‘o e konga hoko ‘o e founga langa.

Naʻe fakamaʻa ʻa e ngaahi veve mei he ngaahi konga kelekele fakakomesiale ʻe 148 ʻi Lahaina kimuʻa ʻi he ʻaho fakaʻosi ʻo e ʻaho 26 ʻo Fepueli 2025. Ko hono fakama’a ‘o e ngaahi konga kelekele fakakomesiale ‘oku hoko ia hili hono fakama’a ‘o e ngaahi ‘api nofo’anga ‘i he faka’osinga ‘o ‘Aokosi 2024. Ko e fakakatoa ‘o e ngaahi ‘api nofo’anga mo e ngaahi ‘api fakakomesiale ‘e 1,538 kuo fakama’a mei he ngaahi veve ‘o e vela ‘o e vao.

‘E fakahoko ‘a e ngaahi sipinga ‘o e kelekele mo e ngaahi founga ke mapule’i ‘aki ‘a e holo ‘a e kelekele ‘i he ongo ‘api fakakomesiale faka’osi kimu’a pea toki ‘osi ‘a e mahina ke fakapapau’i ‘oku malu ‘a e ‘atakai kimu’a pea toki hiki ‘a e ngaahi ‘api ‘o fakafoki ki he Vahefonua Maui.  

“Ko hono fakakakato ʻo hono toʻo ʻo e ngaahi veve mei he ngaahi ʻapi fakakomesiale ʻo Lahaina ʻoku fakaʻilongaʻi ai ha toe makamaile mahuʻinga ʻi he fakaakeake ʻa homau koló,” ko e lau ia ʻa e Pule Kolo ko Richard Bissen. “Ko e makamaile ko ‘ení ‘oku ‘ikai ngata pē ‘i hono fakaava ‘a e hala ki hono toe langa hake ‘o e ngaahi pisinisí ka ‘okú ne toe fakafoki mai ‘a e ‘amanaki ki he kau ma‘u pisinisí, kau ngāué mo e ngaahi fāmili ‘oku nau fakafalala kiate kinautolú. ʻOku mau kei tukupā pē ke poupouʻi homau kakai ʻi heʻemau toe langa fakataha ʻa Lahaina.”  

Naʻe fakahā ʻe he Pule Kolo ko Bissen ʻene houngaʻia ʻi he feinga vave ʻa e USACE mo e ngaahi hoa ngāue kehé, ʻo ne fakatokangaʻi kuo vave ange ʻa e fakalakalaká ʻi he meʻa naʻe ʻamanaki ki aí.  

“ʻOku fakaʻilongaʻi ʻeni ha sitepu mahuʻinga ʻi he fakaakeaké ʻa ia naʻe ʻikai mei lavaʻi ka ne taʻeʻoua ʻa e fakatapui ʻa ʻetau ngaahi hoa ngāue fakakoló mo e falala ʻa e kakaí,” ko e lau ia ʻa e ʻEikitau ʻo e ʻŌfisi Fakaakeake ʻo e USACE, Lt. “Ko hono fakakakato ‘o hono to‘o ‘o e ngaahi veve ko ha sitepu mahu‘inga ia ki he fakaakeaké pea ‘oku mahu‘inga ia ‘i he founga fakakātoa ‘o e toe langa.”

Feitu'u Tauhi'anga Veve Fakataimi  

ʻOku liliu ʻa e tokangá he taimí ni ki hono fetuku ʻo e ngaahi veve ʻoku fakafuofua ki he toni ʻe 400,000 mei he feituʻu ʻo e Tauhiʻanga Veve Fakataimi (TDS) ʻo West Maui, ʻoku tuʻu ʻi Olowalu, ki ha Feituʻu Lingiʻanga Veve Tuʻumaʻu (PDS) ʻi he Lingiʻanga Veve ʻo Maui Lotolotó.

‘Oku fakataumu’a ke fakakakato ‘e he Vahefonua Maui ‘a e ‘uluaki ‘o e palani konga ua ke langa ‘a e PDS ‘i he Lingi’anga Veve ‘o Central Maui ‘i he ‘aho 17 ‘o Ma’asi.  

Makatu'unga 'i he 'aho fakakakato 'o Ma'asi, 'Oku 'amanaki 'a e USACE ke fetuku 'a e ngaahi naunau ki he PDS 'i he taimi 'e 'osi ai 'a e langa 'o e feitu'u tu'uma'u, 'a ia 'oku 'amanaki ke fai 'i Sune 2025. 'Oku fakafuofua 'e he USACE 'e fakafuofua ki he mahina 'e nima ke fakakakato malu 'a e toho 'o e meimei 400,000 'o e debris tons.  

Kae 'oua kuo mateuteu 'a e PDS 'i he Central Maui Landfill ke tali 'a e efu mo e veve, 'e malu'i fakataimi 'e he USACE 'a e TDS ke fakapapau'i 'oku toe malu'i 'a e mo'ui lelei 'a e tangata mo e 'atakai.  

“ʻOku mau tukupā kakato ke fakapapauʻi ʻoku hiki ʻa e ngaahi veve mei he feituʻu fakataimi ki he feituʻu ʻoku liʻaki tuʻuloá ʻi he vave taha mo malu taha,” ko e lau ia ʻa e Pule Kolo ko Richard Bissen. “ʻOku mahuʻinga ʻaupito ʻemau fengāueʻaki mo e ngaahi potungāue fakafederal ʻi hono fakahoko lelei ʻo e meʻá ni, pea te mau kei teke pē ke fakakakato vave ʻa e founga ko ʻení. Naʻa mau fai ha palōmesi ki he komiunitī ʻOlowaluú, pea ʻoku mau fakataumuʻa ke tauhi ia ʻaki ʻemau fakamuʻomuʻa ʻa hono hiki fakafatongia mo taimi totonu ʻo e ngaahi veve.”

To'o 'o e ngaahi pou sima 'o Lahaina  

‘Oku lolotonga fetu’utaki ‘a e USACE mo e Tautahi ‘a ‘Amelika ke to’o ‘a e ngaahi pou sima ‘i he Hala Mu’a ‘i he konga kimui ‘o e ta’u ni pea ‘oku fakafuofua ‘e mahina ‘e tolu hono fakakakato. Ko hono to'o 'o e ngaahi pilings 'e fakalahi 'a e malu ofi ki he 'ā tahi pea 'i he tafa'aki 'o e Hala Mu'a.