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West Maui group seeks county funds to clear Cut Mountain debris, secure shoreline parcels
Summary
Maui Nui Resiliency Hui and partners asked the committee for revolving-fund support to remove 500 tons of debris and secure Cut Mountain and other West Maui shoreline parcels, citing public-safety incidents and recurring dumping.
Representatives from the Maui Nui Resiliency Hui and several community partners asked the Budget Committee on April 22 for county funding to continue debris removal and site security work along West Maui shoreline parcels, including an area called Cut Mountain.
Testifier Kai (last name given as Nishiki) told the committee that an initial community-led cleanup removed more than 17 tons of trash on a four-day effort, plus separated piles of metal, tires, hazardous waste and appliances. The group estimated that as much as 500 additional tons of waste and recyclables remain to be removed.
“We initiated phase 1 of clearing debris and trash from the parcel, however, due to the large volume and limited initial funding, we paused the project to secure additional funding, leaving large piles ready for collection,” the representative said. The group asked for funds from the county’s shoreline and SMA-related revolving funds to hire contractors, provide dumpsters and arrange hazardous-waste handling.
Committee members asked about coordination with County agencies and other nonprofits already working in West Maui. Testifiers said they had consulted planning, parks, EP&S, Malama Maui Nui and other nonprofit partners and that the proposed work would include waste diversion — separating recyclables and metals rather than sending everything to the landfill — and site securing measures (boulders and other measures) to prevent future vehicular access and repeated dumping.
The group also described frequent emergency calls to police and fire in the vicinity and cited safety and liability concerns if county parcels remain unsecured and continue to be used for illegal dumping and fires. Committee members asked staff to confirm the appropriate revolving fund source and to coordinate permitting and insurance requirements; no formal appropriation vote occurred on April 22.
Testimony included requests for related shoreline-protection conditions tied to other large projects in West Maui; speakers urged the county to insist on environmental protections as part of infrastructure permitting for regional wastewater and shoreline work.
