Hawaii to take over aging dam after failure scare prompted evacuations

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: msn/The Independent

12h


Hawaii is set to acquire a 120-year-old dam that prompted thousands of residents to evacuate last week amid fears of catastrophic failure during heavy rains. The state's land board voted on Friday to acquire the Wahiawa Dam land from Dole Food Co., paving the way for state oversight. This will enable at least $20 million in crucial repairs and an expansion of its spillway.

Located north of Honolulu, the earthen structure was built in 1906 for sugar production by Waialua Agricultural Co., a former Dole subsidiary, and rebuilt after a 1921 collapse. The Department of Land and Natural Resources deems it "high hazard," warning its failure could have fatal consequences.

Residents worry the dam will fail during each substantial rain, said Kathleen Pahinui, who a week ago was among the 5,500 people ordered to evacuate from two communities on Oahu's North Shore, famous for big-wave surfing. Evacuation orders were lifted Saturday when water receded.

State control has long been supported by the governor's office, lawmakers, neighbors and farmers, making Friday's vote a foregone but welcome development, Pahinui said before the vote.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hawaii-to-take-over-aging-dam-after-failure-scare-prompted-evacuations/ar-AA1ZyZHh

[dutch777]

1. Why do we let private property owners let their stuff decay or get polluted and then we the taxpayer take it over?

I get the now apparently dire safety aspect here but seems to me lax laws and/or long term lack of reasonable government oversight and enforcement encourages this sort of thing. And Hawaii, like most state and local governments, don't have lots of spare funds just laying around.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. DOLE

'Nuff said. They owned who knows how much land for pineapples (plus one of the smaller islands).





The cousin of the Dole company founder was the administrator of Hawai'i after the U.S. carried out a coup to overthrow Queen Liliʻuokalani in the 1890s so they could take over the islands.

[dave99]

3. Hopefully HAWAII put a lean on DOLE Foods for the present and continuing costs