If you've been tracking the aftermath of the Lahaina wildfires, you know there's been a considerable amount of debris management underway, and now a chance for the public to weigh in on the restoration efforts is coming up. An open house detailing plans for the closure and restoration of the Temporary Debris Storage (TDS) site used for storing wildfire debris at Olowalu is scheduled for Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Lahaina Resource Center, as detailed in an announcement by the County of Maui.
The hand of progress has already carted away about 80% of the debris since June 16, according to a recent report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and as operations approach their tail end, the land braces for rebirth. In the words of Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Biggerstaff, Commander, Honolulu District, "We thank the community for their continued support as we transition to the closure and restoration of the TDS. Safety has been our highest priority throughout this operation, and we're committed to restoring the Olowalu site in a responsible manner," a sentiment reported by Maui County’s official government website.
This effort is not the toil of one but the combined forces of the USACE, the County of Maui, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health, along with the Department of Transportation—all of whom have contributed to the logistics and transport facets of the operation. Their joint exercise clears the path, setting the scene to bring the land back to its former state, or perhaps, an improved version.
For those interested in diving deep into the specifics or voicing their concerns, the upcoming meeting offers an opportunity; USACE officials will be present to field questions, and information about both the dismantling of the current infrastructure and restorative efforts will be on the table. "As we approach the final phase of debris removal, our focus now turns to restoring the Olowalu site in a way that respects both the land and the community," expressed Mayor Richard Bissen, and he encouraged local involvement at the open house detailed in the County of Maui’s press release. The Lahaina Resource Center is conveniently located at Lahaina Gateway, 325 Keawe St., in Suite B102 (close to Ace Hardware) for those marking their calendars.
