Senator J. Kalani English
Chair, Committee on Energy and the Environment
State Capitol, Room 205
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813
Phone: (808) 587-7225
Contact: Jennifer (808) 587-7225

PRESS RELEASE
August 11, 2004

SENATOR ENGLISH ATTENDS GROUNDBREAKING FOR REPAIRS TO KAUMALAPAU HARBOR BREAKWATER ON THE ISLAND OF LANA`I

Lana`i City, Lana`i – Senator J. Kalani English (6th Senatorial District: Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka`i, Lana`i, and Kaho'olawe) will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for repairs to the Kaumalapau Harbor Breakwater on August 15, 2004 at 12:00 p.m.

Senator English, the state senator whose continuous support culminated in the implementation of the breakwater's improvements, noted that the project was brought to fruition through the support of the community and the assistance of the State's congressional delegation. "With the assistance of our senior U.S. Senator (Daniel K. Inouye) in Washington D.C., and the persistent support of the residents of Lana`i, we were able to obtain both federal and state funding to fund this essential project."

Built in the 1920's by the Dole Company, Kaumalapau Harbor was initially constructed to accommodate the needs of the island's burgeoning pineapple industry. As the island's only commercial harbor facility, Kaumalapau Harbor has been the only access point for seafaring commercial freight operations to and from the island. Several years ago, Chevron, citing the deterioration of the harbor breakwater, discontinued its barge service to the island. Since then, Lana`i Oil Company has assumed the service using a smaller barge.

"This harbor improvement project should increase the amount of days commercial shippers will be able to deliver goods to Lana`i, which means less trips off the island for residents to obtain necessary items, and translates to less money out of pocket for Lana`i residents," said English. "After obtaining $900,000 from the federal government for the planning and design work, and the State Legislature appropriating $3 million to construct this project, it's good to see it finally get off the ground. The people of Lana`i have been waiting a long time for these improvements and I think they deserve better access to goods and other commodities, just like everyone else in the State." English continued.

Since the occurrence of Hurricane Iwa in 1982, the Kaumalapau Harbor Breakwater has lost approximately 200 feet, making offloading cargo dangerous in times of rough seas or high surge conditions. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, improvements to the breakwater should reduce wave surge at the harbor, thereby decreasing the risk of injury and damage to vessels and docking facilities when ocean conditions are less than ideal.

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