West
Hawaii judge halts plans for wave pool that critics say is a waste of water
- A judge has issued a temporary injunction halting plans for the Honokea Surf Village wave pool project in west Oahu.
- The injunction was granted due to concerns raised by Native Hawaiians and others about the project’s environmental impact.
- The project’s approval by the Hawaii Community Development Authority was challenged in a lawsuit.
A judge has halted plans for an artificial wave pool until developers can revise an environmental assessment to address concerns raised by Native Hawaiians and others who say the project is unnecessary in the birthplace of surfing and a waste of water.
In granting a temporary injunction Tuesday, Hawaii Environmental Court Judge Shirley Kawamura ordered a new review of concerns including impacts on water supply and anticipated growth in the area.
A group of Native Hawaiians and other residents filed a lawsuit last year challenging the Hawaii Community Development Authority’s approval of the 19-acre Honokea Surf Village planned for west Oahu, which found that it will have no significant environmental impacts.
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Opponents of the project say the wave pool, with a capacity of 7 million gallons, isn’t needed less than 2 miles from the ocean and another existing wave pool.
Ikaika Kaulukukui surfs in a wave pool at Ewa Beach, Hawaii, on May 9, 2023. A judge has halted plans for an artificial wave pool until developers can revise an environmental assessment to address concerns raised by Native Hawaiians and others who say the project is unnecessary in the birthplace of surfing and a waste of water. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, File)
Project backer and renowned Native Hawaiian waterman Brian Keaulana has said artificial waves are useful for competitive surfers to train on perfect breaks that are sometimes elusive in the ocean. Customizable surf, he said, can also help create ideal conditions to teach surfing and lifesaving skills.
“Our goal of creating a place that combines cultural education with skill-based recreation must be done in a way that does not harm our natural resources,” he said Wednesday in a statement. “The court’s ruling allows us an opportunity to revisit the environmental concerns, especially our water resources.”
The judge said in her ruling that there was “insufficient evidence for the HCDA to determine whether there is a likelihood of irrevocable commitment of natural resources and whether secondary and cumulative impacts of water use, injection, land use changes, and wildlife mitigation would likely lead to a significant impact, thereby favoring an injunction.”
The current assessment is “ambiguous as to the specific manner, time frame, and actual daily water use implicated by the initial and periodic filling of the lagoon,” the ruling said.
However the development authority did make sufficient assessment of potential impact on historic preservation and burials, it added. The HCDA declined to comment Wednesday on the ruling.
Developers say the project would be drawing from a private water company separate from Oahu’s water utility, using a supply that was committed decades ago.
But the judge noted that they draw from the same underlying aquifer.
“Thus, additional analysis is needed to fully capture the potential cumulative impact of anticipated growth and subsequent increased competing water demand,” the ruling said.
The state attorney general’s office said it was reviewing the decision.
Healani Sonoda-Pale, one of the plaintiffs, called the ruling a “pono decision,” using a Hawaiian word that can mean “righteous.”
“Much has been made about Hawaiians being on both sides of the issue,” she said. “Building a wave pool is not a cultural practice. The threat of a wave pool … is so immense in terms of how many people it could affect.”
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MISSOULA, Mont. — Amid recent flooding and ahead of wildfire season, Montana State Auditor James Brown is urging homeowners to make sure their homes are properly insured.
Brown said flooding is the leading cause of insurance peril in the nation and can happen year-round in Montana.
He said homeowners should not wait until flooding is imminent to seek coverage because there is typically a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance takes effect.
“Number one, by far the number one source of confusion related to flood insurance is the basic homeowners policy doesn’t cover flood damage, most Montanans may not know that,” said Brown.
Brown said some private flood insurance options exist, but the National Flood Insurance Program remains the main way Montanans can get covered.
He also said wildfire coverage is becoming less common in standard homeowners insurance policies and increasingly expensive.
Brown encouraged homeowners to be careful when shopping for the lowest-cost policy, because cheaper plans may offer less coverage or come with higher deductibles.
“That may not be enough to cover the loss if their house were to burn down, so one of the things we encourage as well is to talk to your agent about what the level of coverage that you have for your home to make sure that it’s fully insured so if you do have a fire or flood or some sort of peril, you’re able to replace your home,” said Brown.
Lower-cost policies may leave homeowners responsible for the first several thousand dollars in losses before insurance coverage begins.
Brown said homeowners should speak with their insurance agents to make sure their policies covers damages if a disaster occurs.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, one chapter of American history was written in the Nevada desert, where the Nevada Test Site became the center of the country’s nuclear testing program during the Cold War.
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas preserves that history, telling the story of what happened at the site roughly 65 miles northwest of the city.
From Truman’s order to 928 nuclear tests
President Truman established the Nevada Test Site in 1950. It was formally activated in 1951 at the height of the Cold War and ultimately served as the location for 928 nuclear weapons tests.
Scott Wade, chairman of the board of trustees for the National Atomic Testing Museum, said the program emerged from unanswered questions following the Manhattan Project.
“After the atomic bomb was developed by the Manhattan Project and the two weapons were used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there were still questions about how to safely utilize them — even as a weapon of war, this was emerging technology, something that had never been done before,” Wade said.
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A family legacy tied to the site
Wade’s connection to the site is personal. His father began working there in 1958 and eventually rose through the Atomic Energy Commission, retiring as the Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs in charge of the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
In the 1990s, Wade’s family, along with six other families of former employees, worked with state and federal partners to establish the Atomic Testing Museum.
“There are a lot of feelings about nuclear weapons, and that’s actually the wonder and beauty of a museum,” Wade said.
Impact beyond weapons testing
Supporters of the program argue its influence extended well beyond military strategy. Wade said the testing program advanced scientific research with applications that reach into medicine today.
“I don’t think as a nation, maybe as a world, we would be anywhere near as far as we are with nuclear material separation even for medical uses,” Wade said.
Supporters also argue the program’s greatest impact was helping deter a global nuclear conflict during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
Nevada’s role continues today
The Nevada Test Site is now known as the Nevada National Security Site and continues to operate. Wade said Nevada’s role in nuclear security remains active.
“Right now, nuclear weapons are still a very big topic. So we’re saying it’s history, but really, Nevada is still playing a very critical role in our everyday lives,” Wade said. “Everything still contributes to making sure that the weapons that are within the stockpile are safe and secure. And because you can’t do an underground nuclear weapons test, you do it with pieces and parts so you understand those pieces and parts.”
The Nevada National Security Site continues to play a role in maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.
The National Atomic Testing Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – License plate readers remain a controversial law enforcement tool. During this past legislative session, New Mexico lawmakers passed a bill that puts limits on how police use a controversial piece of technology.
The Driver Privacy and Safety Act implements safeguards on how the data collected by license plate readers is shared. It comes after instances where the technology was found to be used for non-law enforcement reasons, like people seeking abortions and immigration enforcement.
The lawmakers behind the bill said they want to ensure private information remains private. Santa Fe Police Interim Chief Ben Valdez says they are already restricted from sharing data collected from license plate readers, but he says it’s still important to have the law on the books.
“As a state, I think it puts us on the same page, which I think is very helpful. The data is the property of the City of Santa Fe. So if there’s going to be any sharing of that data. It has to be given with the express permission of the City of Santa Fe. It can’t just be used for any purpose, including being sold to a third party,” said Interim Chief Ben Valdez, Santa Fe Police Department.
Chief Valdez also emphasized that the plate readers can only be used in public spaces. “So it’s on a street that is a public road. It may be in a shopping area where that’s again within the public purview. We’re not doing plate reads in private areas that people have an expectation of privacy,” said Chief Valdez.
There are some cases where the license plate reader data would be shared, including homicide investigations that cross state lines or kidnapping. “They’ve been able to find children that were taken either by a custodial parent or another person, or even missing persons where their plate read came back as a missing person,” said Chief Valdez.
Under the new law, agencies are also required to submit annual reports to the Department of Public Safety on how the tech is being used.
In all, 15 new laws went into effect on Wednesday, including shifting “aggravated battery on a peace officer inflicting great bodily harm” from a third-degree felony to second degree and creating an Office of Special Education in the Public Education Department.
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