Updated at 1:18 p.m., Monday, September 10, 2007
Superferry opponents cite environmental concerns
Advertiser Staff
Several activists from Kaua'i held a news conference this morning outside the state Capitol to explain their concerns about the Hawaii Superferry.Some asked Gov. Linda Lingle to tell Superferry to suspend ferry service until the state completes an environmental assessment ordered by the state Supreme Court.
Others warned about the ferry's potential impact on Kaua'i's culture and its fish and wildlife.
"The Superferry will bring hundreds of people and we are not ready to accept all of them," said Kalehua Ham Young, a kupuna and cultural practitioner.
Environmentalists lost in Kaua'i court on Friday when a judge denied their request for a temporary restraining order to keep the ferry from Nawiliwili Harbor. A hearing on an injunction against the Superferry is scheduled for Sept. 17.
Mehana Blaich Vaughan, a teacher and student, said the Superferry service is akin to building a highway between the islands.
"People always ask us what makes the Hawaii Superferry different," she said. "To us, it's the first time in Hawaii's history that people and their cars have been able to move together simultaneously."
