COUNTY COUNCIL, COUNTY OF KAUAI: RESOLUTIONREQUESTING THAT AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT BE PREPARED ON THE HAWAI‘I SUPERFERRY
WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Superferry, in association with Austal USA, is proposing to provide non-stop, roundtrip, ferry service daily between the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Honolulu commencing in the year 2006; and
WHEREAS, this service provided by the world’s newest and largest passenger vehicle catamaran will help to connect the islands and could transform the State, positively or negatively; and
WHEREAS, this operation plans to eventually expand its fleet by the year 2008 with additional ferries and service twice daily to each island; and
WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Superferry intends to provide an efficient, environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art, ferry service for passengers and vehicles between the islands at approximately half the price of flying; and
WHEREAS, this system will expand our State’s transportation infrastructure and economy by hopefully lowering the cost of travel and shipment of goods and agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, although this service promises many benefits to the residents of Kaua‘i, it could also create or exacerbate problems, such as an increase in crime and the spread of invasive plants and animal species, such as the fireweed, the mongoose, and coqui frog, to Kaua‘i; and
WHEREAS, the spread of the mongoose or coqui frog could cause untold damage to the environment, economy, and visitor industry; and
WHEREAS, this daily service could also burden the existing State harbors and highway infrastructure since it will transport up to 900 passengers and 250 vehicles per ferry, with plans for expansion by the year 2008; and
WHEREAS, good planning requires a thorough and methodical anticipation of impacts and the identification and implementation of ways to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts; and
WHEREAS, it is not the intention of the Council, in the absence of convincing analysis, to stop or obstruct the Superferry; rather, it is the intention of the Council to protect the land and people of Kaua‘i against a degradation of the environment and social fabric by encouraging a proper planning process that would prevent or mitigate possible negative impacts of the proposed Superferry to an acceptable level; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA‘I, STATE OF HAWAI‘I, that it requests the Department of Transportation, Harbors Division, to require that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be completed prior to commencement of the Hawai‘i Superferry operation to identify and address possible negative effects of this new service to Kaua‘i, or in the alternative, the Council requests that the Hawai‘i Superferry itself voluntarily engage in such a process and live out its commitment to responsible planning and socially conscious corporate action.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Governor Linda Lingle, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, the Kaua‘i Legislative Delegation, the Sate Department of Transportation, Harbors Division, the State Department of Agriculture, Quarantine Division, the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee, John Garibaldi, CEO, Hawai‘i Superferry, Tim Dick, Founder and Chairman, Hawai‘i Superferry, Greg Metcalf, CEO, Austal USA, and John Cole, Executive Director, Division of Consumer Advocacy.
Important upcoming information and dates for the 2010 campaign are located on the official County of Kaua‘i election calendar; please visit the County of Kaua‘i or the State of Hawai‘i web sites for more details.
Superferry: Resolution Introduced
COUNTY COUNCIL, COUNTY OF KAUAI: RESOLUTIONREQUESTING THAT AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT BE PREPARED ON THE HAWAI‘I SUPERFERRY
WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Superferry, in association with Austal USA, is proposing to provide non-stop, roundtrip, ferry service daily between the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Honolulu commencing in the year 2006; and
WHEREAS, this service provided by the world’s newest and largest passenger vehicle catamaran will help to connect the islands and could transform the State, positively or negatively; and
WHEREAS, this operation plans to eventually expand its fleet by the year 2008 with additional ferries and service twice daily to each island; and
WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Superferry intends to provide an efficient, environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art, ferry service for passengers and vehicles between the islands at approximately half the price of flying; and
WHEREAS, this system will expand our State’s transportation infrastructure and economy by hopefully lowering the cost of travel and shipment of goods and agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, although this service promises many benefits to the residents of Kaua‘i, it could also create or exacerbate problems, such as an increase in crime and the spread of invasive plants and animal species, such as the fireweed, the mongoose, and coqui frog, to Kaua‘i; and
WHEREAS, the spread of the mongoose or coqui frog could cause untold damage to the environment, economy, and visitor industry; and
WHEREAS, this daily service could also burden the existing State harbors and highway infrastructure since it will transport up to 900 passengers and 250 vehicles per ferry, with plans for expansion by the year 2008; and
WHEREAS, good planning requires a thorough and methodical anticipation of impacts and the identification and implementation of ways to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts; and
WHEREAS, it is not the intention of the Council, in the absence of convincing analysis, to stop or obstruct the Superferry; rather, it is the intention of the Council to protect the land and people of Kaua‘i against a degradation of the environment and social fabric by encouraging a proper planning process that would prevent or mitigate possible negative impacts of the proposed Superferry to an acceptable level; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA‘I, STATE OF HAWAI‘I, that it requests the Department of Transportation, Harbors Division, to require that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be completed prior to commencement of the Hawai‘i Superferry operation to identify and address possible negative effects of this new service to Kaua‘i, or in the alternative, the Council requests that the Hawai‘i Superferry itself voluntarily engage in such a process and live out its commitment to responsible planning and socially conscious corporate action.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Governor Linda Lingle, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, the Kaua‘i Legislative Delegation, the Sate Department of Transportation, Harbors Division, the State Department of Agriculture, Quarantine Division, the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee, John Garibaldi, CEO, Hawai‘i Superferry, Tim Dick, Founder and Chairman, Hawai‘i Superferry, Greg Metcalf, CEO, Austal USA, and John Cole, Executive Director, Division of Consumer Advocacy.
Introduced by:
JOANN A. YUKIMURA
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