How Christmas Came to Hawaii
‘A financial disaster’: Red Hill water crisis could prevent, even halt some construction projects
HNN: … The Red Hill water crisis has the potential to prevent and even halt constructions projects in Aiea and Halawa, all the way to Hawaii Kai, according to Board of Water Supply officials.
With three wells currently out of service, BWS is warning builders they might not be able to approve everyone’s application for water service.
At this point, no projects have been affected. But the agency says that could change.
It’s a reality the building industry says could be detrimental to Oahu’s economy.
BWS Chief Engineer Ernest Lau says if you’re planning a project or in the process of construction, “They should come in and talk to us right away.”
Depending on where the project is located, Lau says getting approved for water could be an issue.
Even if the agency has already signed off on your application, officials say under the current circumstances, service is not guaranteed.
“We want to be able to try and handle the growth and water demand. But under these circumstances right now, we’re going to have to look at what we can accommodate safely without detrimental effect on water service to our existing customers,” Lau said.
He added that multiple communities could be impacted, particularly those that feed off the Halawa Aiea Water System.
“It’s from the area of Iwaene Street in Halawa, all the way up to Hekaha Street on the west side,” Lau said.
On top of that, Lau said other neighborhoods that could be affected are from the Halawa industrial area where the correctional facility is located all the way out to Kalama Valley in Hawaii Kai.
The Building Industry Association of Hawaii says the situation could have a considerable impact on the island’s economic stability.
A spokesperson said, “We do have concerns that there are developments in the area that are already permitted, and the halting of water allocations would mean developers have invested huge dollars on projects that can’t be completed, sold/closed on — a financial disaster for those businesses.”…
(Questions: Stadium Project? New jail?)
read … ‘A financial disaster’: Red Hill water crisis could prevent, even halt some construction projects
Red Hill Water Flushing from Military Housing Areas
KHON: … The Navy announced it has completed flushing system water lines at the Pearl City Peninsula military housing neighborhood on Dec. 22, an area that was chosen first given its proximity to the Waiawa well. Samples were sent to the mainland to be tested, and results are expected next week.
Water line flushing is ongoing in the Aliamanu Military Reservation, JBPHH and Red Hill housing areas. The Navy said workers will now move on to flushing individual homes in Pearl City.
Whether the Navy will have to remove its Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility hangs in the balance of a state hearing over the water contamination crisis. A hearings officer said he expects to issue a recommendation early next week on whether the Navy has to comply with Hawaii’s order to empty fuel from the facility.
The Navy and the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) have been sending mixed messages since the beginning of the crisis. According to the Navy, the “highly accurate test results” show no detectable contamination above the state health department’s Environmental Action Level (EAL). The DOH, however, continues to advise Navy water users to avoid using it for drinking, cooking or oral hygiene.
According to the DOH, samples collected from the Navy’s Red Hill drinking water shaft tested positive for high levels of gasoline and diesel range hydrocarbons, with petroleum levels 350 times the limit for safe drinking water. Click here to read the lab results from the Navy’s Red Hill shaft. The Navy says water is now being provided from the Waiawa well, which is safe.
The Navy is contesting DOH’s emergency order to take immediate action, including suspending the operation at the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility, installing a drinking water treatment system at the shaft and submitting a work plan. The Navy, so far, has temporarily suspended the use of the fuel tanks.
The Navy argues the order isn’t needed because it has suspended facility operations and is analyzing whether to remove the fuel from the tanks….
Hawaii’s congressional leaders are pushing the Navy to cooperate instead of fighting (simply rejecting the authority of) the emergency order…
read … Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam provides another update to address ongoing water issues
Hawaii senator pushes for change at OCCC after hearing complaints
KHON: …According to Sen. Kurt Fevella, Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) is severely understaffed.
He toured the facility on Thursday, Dec. 23, after hearing complaints from adult corrections officers (ACOs) that they’ve been overseeing way too many inmates per officer.
“You’re talking about three [officers] with 108 inmates,” said Fevella. “It’s very frustrating to see something like that.”…
Fevella wants to see more money put toward the facility, as well as more ACOs assigned to OCCC rather than at Halawa Correctional Center or on the neighbor islands….
read … Hawaii senator pushes for change at OCCC after hearing complaints
Hawaii enjoying relatively few canceled flights
SA: … At Hawaii’s busiest airport, flight-tracking firm FlightAware reported nine canceled Friday flights into or out of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport: four departures and five arrivals.
Of the nine cancellations, Delta had four, United had two and WestJet had two. Hawaiian was listed as having one, a flight from Maui to Oahu.
United and Hawaiian are two of the biggest carriers serving Hawaii, and the four canceled United flights represented 4% of its schedule locally, while the single Hawaiian cancellation was less than 1% of its daily service in Honolulu, according to FlightAware.
As of Friday afternoon three scheduled Christmas Day flights at the Honolulu airport had been canceled: one by Delta and two by United.
On Maui there were eight canceled Friday flights: four by Delta, two by United, one by Southwest and the Hawaiian flight to Oahu, FlightAware data showed. For today Delta had the only Maui flight cancellation reported by FlightAware.….
SA: 3rd Florida-based ship has COVID-19 outbreak
read … Hawaii enjoying relatively few canceled flights
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