The state has ordered a Maui real estate company to fix its stream flow issues — or pay a fine of nearly $140,000.
Maui Land & Pineapple Co. diverts water from the Honokōhau Stream, but is required by the state to allow a certain amount of water to flow downstream.
That water is meant for kalo farmers and other others. MLP was given a maximum $140,000 fine for violating that stream flow requirement for nearly 30 days between January and August.
At a recent Commission on Water Resource Management meeting, commissioner Lawrence Miike suggested that the company can make infrastructure improvements instead of paying the fine.
“I would suggest we revise the commission's proposal and say that we would fine MLP the maximum $140,000," Miike said. "But, in lieu of a monetary penalty, that they do physical projects — not these outreach kinds of things — but physical projects that will improve the efficiency of the system, so that it's not just the ditch users but the off stream users in the taro side, that they'll be more assured of flow in the stream."
He added, "The commission also has a duty to get the dam permit system going. We also have to deal with, ultimately, we have to decide how we're going to apportion waters because it's obviously a shortage."
The fine comes during a particularly dry year in West Maui. MLP can propose stream improvement projects to the commission by late February.
