Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 1999 — Hoʻolehua Homestead community wins: D0T withdraws Molokaʻi Airport project [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hoʻolehua Homestead community wins: D0T withdraws Molokaʻi Airport project

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TRUSTEE M ESSAGES

ringspot and banana bunchy top viruses, as well as from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRSS) affecting the swine industry. One homesteader complained her breeder pigs had experienced a marked decrease in fecundity during Mahalo Air's short stint and — expressed eoneem that increased jet traf-

f EVENTY HAWAIIAN HomesteadE ers packed a meeting hall on Moloka'i on June 30, to discuss the lDepartment of Transportation's W (DOT) proposal to construct onisland airport improvements. DOT intended to implement the first phase of a two-tiered project totaling $59.082.000. Phase I involved terrain excavation at the mnway's end, road reconstruction adjacent to the airport, and acquisition of between 30 and 82 acres of homestead lands. Phase II includes extension of the main mnway by 500 feet, constmction of a tunnel for residents to travel to and from West Moloka'i, 150 feet of runway widening, and demolition of the existing passenger terminal to be substituted for a larger terminal and parking area. Residents shook their heads, eommenting, "Why such a huge project for our little island of 7,000 people? The small planes are sufficient for our needs." In the film " Field of Dreams"a farmer builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his eom field with the convic-

tion that if he "builds it 'they' will eome." Mueh in the same philosophy, fears arose on Moloka'i over the broader imphcations that a project of such magnitude would bring to the community's rural, agricultural, traditional, subsistence lifestyle. Residents worried that providing better visitor accessibihty would pave the way for future resort development and the

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fic could put her family out of business. Homesteaders hving near the airport eommunicated concerns about noise pollution from current airport operations and the hearing problems they suffered. Thesehomesteaders were not informed by DOT during the public review period of the Environmental Assessment (EA) despite the fact that they would be most affected by the direct taking of their lands. One homesteader told of her grandmother's loss of five acres when the airport was

popularization of Moloka'i as a piime tourist destination, while concomitantly placing greater pressure on the island's already limited natural resources. With agriculture the most important industry, farmers were concerned about protecting the island's fairly pristine conditions from the introduction of pests from other islands, such as the papaya

first built, and the unfair compensation she received in a substitute lot that could not be worked because of inadequate basic infrastructure. Now, just a few decades later, she too would be required to rehnquish a significant portion of her land. The only proper recourse was to initiate a public court challenge to the ade-

quacy of the EA by July 8, and argue for the submittal of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS requires a more thorough review of the cumulative environmental, social, eeonomie consequences. One major legal contention was DOT's failure to analyze both phases of the airport project to determine its true significance and impact. The law frowns on this kind of pieee-meal evaluation. Only at the eleventh hour, when the homesteaders were poised to initiate a potentially lengthy and expensive lawsuit, did DOT send a representative to present the airport master plan and hear the eommunity's concerns. Faced with overwhelming opposition, on July 2 DOT filed a withdrawal of its Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC). If DOT were to attempt to implement the airport project again, it would need to begin ffom scratch, would likely file an EIS, and would hold on-island public hearings. It is critical that all levels of government maintain an open process so the pubhc has a fair and ample opportunity to evaluate projects that significantly affect their hves and community. Moloka'i's people have always demonstrated a strong commitment to aloha 'āina. It is no wonder the island has been called since ancient times "Molokai Pule O'o." Moloka'i of the fervent prayers. ■