Panel seeks answers to Superferry issues

The Maui News
Wednesday, April 05, 2006

By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer

WAILUKU – A request for $20 million to fund harbor improvements needed by Hawaii Superferry would be chopped in half and a series of public forums about the controversial project would be required if a provision by the state Senate Ways and Means Committee is adopted.

"They're not just going to walk away with this additional $20 million," said Sen. Shan Tsutsui.

The Senate's money committee showed its disappointment in Superferry's continued failure to meet with the public and lawmakers by earmarking only $10 million for the state Department of Transportation to carry out the improvements needed before Superferry can launch in little more than a year. Although the money was part of a $40 million appropriation requested by Superferry last year, DOT would serve as the accepting agency and provide the improvements around the state.

That reduced funding would be appropriated only if DOT agrees to begin a series of open meetings to bring the communities, other harbor users and county leaders up to speed on details of the ferry plans that are still mostly unknown. The Senate bill would require that DOT hold three public forums on each island that would be affected by Superferry in addition to conducting site surveys and assessments in collaboration with the Hawaii Harbor Users Group to gauge the project's impacts on current users. All meetings would have to be publicized 10 days ahead of time.

The budget provision included by the Ways and Means Committee will be further discussed at conference deliberations with the state House later this month.

Last session, the Legislature allotted $20 million of Superferry's original request for harbor improvements, but withheld the other half in case more review were needed.

Sen. J. Kalani English has been equally frustrated with Superferry's lack of public outreach.

"Hawaii Superferry representatives have had every opportunity to communicate with the community and the Legislature over the past year, and have failed to do so," said English. "This action will hold the Superferry accountable to the community."

Lawmakers will get their chance to hear from Superferry officials at 10 a.m. April 12 when Chief Executive Officer John Garibaldi is scheduled to give a presentation to a joint session of the legislative transportation committees. Because the event is an "informational briefing," no public testimony will be accepted, but anyone who wants to submit questions or express concerns should contact committee chairs Sen. Lorraine Inouye or Rep. Joe Souki.

Inouye can be reached at 586-7335 or by e-mail to

seninouye@capitol.hawaii.gov. Souki can be reached at 586-9444 or by e-mail to repsouki@

capitol.hawaii.gov. To call toll free from Maui, dial 984-2400 and then punch in the last five digits of the legislator's office number followed by # symbol.

Representatives from DOT and Superferry did not return calls to The Maui News Tuesday.

For more than a year, Mauians with questions about Superferry plans for operations say they have been kept in the dark by company officials who have refused to conduct open community meetings.

The ferry company's latest effort at community involvement was to organize an advisory panel of residents. Even though members of the panel already have met twice, Superferry officials still decline to release their names because they say they are adding others to the group.

Company leaders also claim they have met with members of the Maui public.

Mayor Alan Arakawa, who unsuccessfully has asked that Superferry prepare an environmental impact statement to answer all the outstanding questions, had mixed feelings about the Senate's action. Arakawa said while he supported the call for public forums, he didn't agree with holding back half the funds for harbor improvements.

"I believe all the studies and assessments should be done to have the best information," said the mayor. "But you have to have the money to make all the improvements. I think it's important to keep the conditions of meeting with the public, working on environmental assessments and eventually how other users will be impacted, but keeping the funding is equally important."

Even though Arakawa has been critical of the ferry company's refusal to conduct an environmental impact statement, he said he remains in favor of the project overall.

"I like the concept of Superferry, but I'm fairly concerned about what the impacts are going to be," he said. "You need the best information to make a good decision. If we're going to do it, let's do it right."

The mayor said he didn't like the idea of only a select committee meeting with Superferry officials.

"When the cat decides how the game is played, they'll be in favor of stacking the game the way it wants it to be played," said Arakawa.

Teya Penniman, manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee who has announced that she's a member of Superferry's advisory panel, also was pleased to hear that community forums might be forthcoming.

"If you have a good public process, you have a much better result because you capture the collective wisdom that we all have about the issues," she said. "Without information, people end up suspicious."

English said the public has "a right to know" how the environment will be protected and how harbors will be safeguarded.

"All the concerns of the community deserve a fair hearing," he said.

Tsutsui said he also hopes to convince his colleagues to include a provision that would require the Superferry to comply with all the various county requirements that would address traffic, community and environmental concerns, including preventing the spread of invasive species, preventing transportation of illegal drugs and preventing collisions with whales.

Arakawa said he would like to see county standards followed.

"The state respecting the county and the county respecting the state is a good partnership," he said.

Hawaii Superferry plans to begin daily service between Maui, Oahu and Kauai in about a year. A second vessel and service to the Big Island is expected to be added in 2008. Plans to berth at Pier 2 in Kahului Harbor have especially raised concerns because Young Brothers uses nearly all of that area to handle an increasing amount of cargo coming in and out of Maui.

Arakawa said he hoped the forums would not only include discussions of Superferry, but what the future holds for Kahului Harbor as a whole.

"We already hear about different ships or barges having to hold off (because of no berths available)," said the mayor. "And that's today. When you start planning 10 or 12 years down the line, what's going to happen with all the increased traffic? A plan has to be put in place and it must be based on the best data available."

Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.

Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=18426

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