Despite potential flooding threat, Wahiawa dam owners get more time to make repairs hawaiinewsnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hawaiinewsnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On Friday, Hawaii’s land board has fined the Dole Food Company Hawaii $20,000 for failing to safely maintain the Wahiawa dam. The more than a century-old dam – that protects Oahu’s North…
The dams/reservoirs fined are Wahiawa on O‘ahu and Keaīwa on Hawai‘i.
The DLNR Dam Safety Program presented the enforcement actions to the Land Board to ensure dam owners move forward with the necessary steps to maintain their dam structures and comply with safety standards and regulations set forth in state law.
Carty Chang, DLNR’s Chief Engineer said, “The goal of the Dam Safety Program is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of everyone by reducing the risk of failure of dams and reservoirs. These enforcement actions will help our program more effectively work with dam owners to ensure they meet their requirements to minimize risks to lives and property while also preserving these valuable water resources that provide many beneficial uses for the people of Hawai‘i.”
Dole Fined $20,000 For Significant Safety Risks Posed By Wahiawa Dam - Honolulu Civil Beat
Dole Fined $20,000 For ‘Significant’ Safety Risks Posed By Wahiawa Dam
The fine was among the first enforcements against local dam owners since the Kaupakalua dam overflowed, prompting evacuations on Maui. Reading time: 5 minutes.
The state’s land board fined Dole Food Company Hawaii $20,000 on Friday for failing to safely maintain the Wahiawa dam, which protects Oahu’s North Shore from flooding by Lake Wilson.
The more than century-old dam presents a “significant risk to the public today” and Dole has known of that risk for at least 12 years, Carty Chang, the state land agency’s chief engineer, told the Board of Land and Natural Resources.