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Maui%20County
‘Seek an Alternative Location’
County planning chief contests car-crusher at Kanaha

by By Cheryl Ambrozic-Mooz

April 28, 2005

Citing considerable opposition from a variety of county, state and federal agencies, the Maui County Planning Department has told local tow truck operator Mike Kitagawa that it opposes his building a car-crushing facility on Hobron Ave. next to the Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary in Kahului.



“In light of the concerns raised by these agencies, we find it difficult to support your proposed facility at its current location,” Maui County Planning Director Michael Foley wrote to Kitagawa on Apr. 7, 2005. “You are again advised to follow the recommendations of these agencies and seek an alternative location such as your Alamaha Street location.”



Kitagawa refused to comment on Foley’s letter. But other county officials are vocalizing their opposition.



“I believe there are serious and obvious concerns associated with the proposal to site a heavy industrial activity of this sort next to a protected wildlife sanctuary, home to three species of native endangered birds,” said Rob Parsons, the Maui County Environmental Coordinator. “I applaud Director Foley for his comments to the applicant, encouraging him to choose another location.”



While Maui County clearly has to do something about the ballooning number of abandoned cars, crushing them next to an endangered species habitat isn’t the answer. As Maui Time has previously reported (see “The Big Squeeze,” Apr. 7 and “Explosive,” Apr. 14), the county Department of Fire and Public Safety, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) have all put into writing their opposition to Kitagawa’s proposal.



DLNR is concerned that loud noise from the facility will harm the endangered Hawaiian stilts, coots and ducks that make their home at Kanaha. Federal Fish and Wildlife officials told the county it was likely that cars reaching the crushing lot would still contain many toxic fluids that would inevitably leak into the Kanaha Pond.



But it was the county Fire Department’s comments that were the most explosive. “A fire is a very real possibility at this location, even with most/all vehicle fluids removed,” Fire Captain Val Martin wrote to the county. Martin added that should his department have to battle a blaze at the crushing yard, water contaminated with oils and fluids could run off into the Kanaha Pond.



In his Apr. 7 letter, Foley also wrote that the Planning Department has received at least one complaint against Kitagawa for already stacking abandoned cars on his lot.



“[T]here are current problems of possible oil contaminants on the ground,” Foley told Kitagawa. “Please be advised that this complaint has been forwarded to our Zoning and Enforcement Division for proper action.”



County Planning Department’s Staff Planner Colleen Suyama said Kitagawa also hasn’t responded to Foley’s letter. But she added that all hope isn’t lost for him. He can still try to fix the problems outlined by the various agencies above. But if he can’t, he’s going to have to forget about crushing cars next to the Kanaha Pond. MTW