HI Superferry: Kahului Harbor EIS: Time to Dissect

Kahului Harbor EIS: My Initial Cuts‏
Mon 12/24/07 1:48 PM

It's a big doc. Finally got it pulled down. Have scanned through it all, focusing on the breakwater alternatives. There are a lot of other things in the doc. to look at, but I will focus on the breakwater improvements.

Neither Alternative Plan A nor B will adequately stop disruptive wave action at Pier 2.

Alternative A would move the Superferry and cruise ships to the far west end behind an in-harbor breakwater and would work for them, but it is the more expensive of the two alternatives at $389 million and would still leave the problem at Pier 2 for those who would be using it.

My guess is the state is angling to chose Alternative A. Alternative B would still leave the current problems for the Superferry at Pier 2(c). Chapter 4 in the EIS pertains to all of this. There are two additional plans presented in Figures 4-8 and 4-9. Figure 4-9 is totally unrealistic in light of surf. Firgure 4-8 is very interesting, although that exact scheme might not work, but it gives ideas for additional breakwater alternatives thusfar not documented and presented by the state. (I will pursue those with some of my own new diagrams when I get time.)

There is also mention in Chapter 4 of the long standing idea of a second commercial port near the the Olowalu shoreline area where dredging took place during WWII that could be used again.

My belief is that none of Alt. A, B, Fig. 4-8, nor 4-9 are ideal and Alt. A and B are both too expensive not to solve the key problem. I think DOT and Belt Collins need to go back to the drawing board and make use of the CGWAVE Model database at CHL of the USACoE to test more senerios for breakwaters, before spending more than a third of a billion dollars on this.

Aloha, Brad


Subject: Kahului Harbor EIS: Time to Dissect
Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:06:35 -1000

It was made available online to the public two hours ago, although I have had trouble pulling it down:

http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA%20AND%20EIS%20ONLINE%20LIBRARY/Maui/2007-12-23%20DEIS%20Kahului%20Harbor%202030%20Master%20Plan.pdf


Aloha, Brad