State hears Ala Wai concerns
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
About 250 people showed up at the state sponsored meeting at the Hawai'i Convention Center last night to voice their concerns about the plan to dredge the debris-clogged Ala Wai Canal.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Waikiki residents, canoe paddlers and recreational sailboat owners told state officials and lawmakers they are worried primarily about excessive noise, strong odors and restricted access to the canal during the year-long project, which starts Aug. 6.
Hundreds of people attended last night's meeting at the Hawai'i Convention Center to discuss the dredging of the Ala Wai Canal. The year-long project is scheduled to begin Aug. 6.
"The steersmen have their work cut out for them," said June Leialoha, president of Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa' paddling association. "We have to be able to get out to the ocean. As long as we can maneuver round the dredging, we will be all right."
American Marine Corp. was awarded the $7.4 million contract last year to remove 170,000 cubic yards of sediment and to dredge the canal to a depth of 6 to 12 feet. The company has applied for a noise variance permit from the state Department of Health to allow dredging activities 24 hours a day in certain areas along the canal.
The contractor's permit allows work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, but more time may be needed in some areas to complete the project on time, said Eric Hirano, deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Neil Williams, project manager for American Marine, said the company would like to work weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and possibly longer if the project encounters delays.
Many residents said they do not want to hear machinery noise 24 hours a day.
To comment on American Marine Corp.'s noise variance permit application to allow Ala Wai dredging activities up to 24 hours a day, write to the state Department of Health, 591 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96873. Attention: Russell Takata.
The final decision on permit will be made by the Health Department after all public comments are collected.
Comments on noise sought
"Your concerns will be heard," Health Department director Bruce Anderson said at the meeting.
The 2-mile-long canal acts as a catchment basin for water flowing from Manoa, Palolo, Makiki and surrounding areas, but without ocean circulation, the canal stinks in some sections and is mere inches deep at low tide.
The sediment will be removed using a barge-mounted crane with a hydraulic clam bucket that will scoop materials and dump them into a scow. A pushboat, specially designed to fit under the Ala Wai bridges, will be used to move the dump scow to and from a site at Magic Island. The scows can hold 300 cubic yards of material each and will be towed to an Environmental Protection Agency approved dumping site 3.8 miles off the airport.
Work will be done in four stages, beginning in the area between the Ala Moana Boulevard and McCully Street bridges.
Residents who live near the canal said the stench coming from the dredged materials would be unbearable for them and for those who walk or run along the waterway.
Representatives from the Department of Land and Natural Resources said that to control odor, the materials will not be allowed to dry after being scooped, but will be watered down until it is moved out of the canal.
Surfer George Downing said the contractor should take extra precautions to avoid the large number of surfers using the area, possibly putting out a chase boat to warn people in the water.
Others were concerned with canoe access near Magic Island. Williams assured them there will be ample room for boats around the barge and staging area planned for Magic Island.
When asked if any further testing of the sediment is planned, Hirano said it has all been done and approved by the EPA. No toxic materials will be dumped at sea, he said.
One resident asked why the state didn't just finish the original plan for the canal and complete the Diamond Head end through to the ocean.
City Council member Duke Bainum told the group that plan had been studied and it was determined that completing the canal would not improve circulation and would push sediment out near Diamond Head, polluting Waikiki beaches.
The area at the Kapahulu Avenue end of the canal will be dredged last. Another public meeting will be held later to discuss that portion of the project. The estimated 1,825 cubic yards of sediment from that area is expected to contain pollutants, including chlordane, and will be taken to a disposal site at Sand Island for treatment. Chlordane was Hawai'i's termite ground treatment chemical of choice until it was banned for commercial use in 1988.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
