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Waimanalo board
protests shutdown
of outlet project

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By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

The Waimanalo Neighborhood Board objected yesterday to a stop-work order the state issued on the Waimanalo Outlet Project.

"This project was basically secret," said board member Joe Ryan, with no environmental assessment and no U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit issued.

Also, funds were diverted from other projects for it, he said.

"This diversion of funding has left 400 people in 98 homes in this community at some risk of flooding and taken away the money that could be used for the flood mitigation plan," Ryan said.

The board held a news conference on flood-control concerns yesterday at the 60-million gallon reservoir at 41-909 Mahailua St.

The board said the joint state and federal outlet project has been shut down by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for various administrative reasons and that preliminary work on it may have damaged an archaeological landmark.

"Yes, we are aware of this," said Doug MaKitten, public affairs officer, Honolulu Engineer District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "We're in the midst of doing a records search to confirm a couple of things," he said.

The exact site of the project will determine whether it's in the Corps of Engineers' jurisdiction, and state agriculture people agreed to stop work until the matter is resolved, MaKitten said.

The state issued a news release yesterday afternoon, saying:

The Waimanalo Watershed project, including Waimanalo Reservoir improvements, was not shut down by the Army Corps of Engineers but by the state Department of Agriculture, at the request of Enviro Watch Inc., which reported it found charcoal in an area around the reservoir, which may indicate an archeological preservation site.

The Waimanalo Watershed project is a joint effort by state departments of Agriculture and Land and Natural Resources, Windward Soil and Water Conservation District and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Sept. 4 agreement estimated the work would cost $650,000 -- half funded by the state and half by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

There was no diversion of funds from other legislatively authorized projects, the state said.