Senate panel backs Johns for state land board post

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Tim Johns, the former chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, yesterday won a state Senate panel's endorsement of his nomination as a board member.

The Senate Water, Land, Energy and Environment Committee voted 7-0 to support Johns' appointment. The nomination will go to the full Senate tomorrow for a floor vote.

Johns served as chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources from January 1999 to December 2000, when he resigned to become chief operating officer for the Estate of Samuel Mills Damon. Johns said he would recuse himself from any decisions the board may make on issues pertaining to the Damon Estate.

The Hawai'i Audubon Society last year honored Johns for his work to protect Hawai'i's natural resources.

If confirmed by the Senate, Johns would serve a term on the board that ends June 2002.

Nearly all of the testimony submitted to the committee supported Johns as a board member. But a few people complained about Johns' work while board chairman and also alleged that he could have prevented the mercury contamination at the Pu'uwai Momi public housing project March 12.

Attorney Joseph Ryan said Johns knew of the mercury spill months before children discovered the liquid mercury and carried it to the housing project, but nothing was done.

Johns told the committee he did not know of the mercury spill and added that he would like to see any documents indicating that he did.