Marred reef
could cost Pflueger
$5.8 millionThe state Land Board considers
the fine for damage caused
from an illegal road project
LIHUE >> The state may require retired Oahu auto dealer Jimmy Pflueger to pay $5.8 million to restore Pilaa Reef, which was buried in mud two years ago when Pflueger's un-permitted road-building project caused a massive landslide.
Pflueger, though, may have the option of posting a $5.8 million bond and restoring the reef himself under state supervision.
The Board of Land & Natural Resources will consider these options when it meets in Lihue tomorrow.
The $5.8 million cost of restoring the reef is based on a formula used in Florida to determine the dollar amount on damages to reefs there.
The Land Board's case is in addition to a list of civil and criminal charges against Pflueger by other state, county and federal agencies and several lawsuits filed against him by individuals and environmental groups.
Pflueger's road-building project was intended to link land Pflueger was developing for upscale homes with Pilaa Beach, which adjoins the property.
On Nov. 26, 2001, heavy rains on the road construction site resulted in a huge mudslide.
A study commissioned by the state Land Division found that heavy sedimentation killed 11 percent of the coral.
It also found that Pflueger had previously damaged the reef by unauthorized grading in the late 1990s.
