It is too much, too fast

So what’s going on with the Superferry?” people ask. “Why do we need an Environmental Impact Statement for the Hawaii Superferry when we have not required one of other companies, such as Young Brothers and go! Airlines?”

The short answer is that there is nothing inherently wrong with having an interisland ferry service. In fact, when the idea was first proposed, I also thought it a good idea. I was initially supportive.

What is wrong with the particular Hawaii Superferry proposal is that it is too much, too fast, with not enough thought given to its proper planning and long-term impacts.

The Hawaii Superferry has a capacity of up to 860 passengers and 280 cars and trucks, per trip. This translates into the possibility of 1,720 people and 560 cars entering the harbor area (loading and unloading) during the same approximate period of time. This further translates to 2 to 3 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic in each direction in the areas immediately adjacent to the harbor entrances (between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Nawiliwili.)

With the Hawaii Superferry slated to begin operations in July of this year, a quick glance at the harbor area where the vessels are scheduled to arrive will show you that no improvements have been made to the area whatsoever. There are no bathrooms, no ticket booths, no security screening areas and no vehicular “wash-down” facilities. I am told there will be a “tent” put up as a passenger holding area and that portable toilets will be used. I am also told that there will be no parking provided at all and no improvements made to the ingress and egress at the highway junction.

As to questions of security and invasive species protection, the Hawaii Superferry has stated that it “will work with local law enforcement and the Department of Agriculture.” There is no requirement by the state Department of Transportation to ensure inspections, no inspection facilities and no trained inspectors. There is also no commitment by the Superferry to pay the increased costs incurred by our local police and agriculture departments that are already severely understaffed.

At the Lihu‘e Airport, all passengers and all baggage go through a rigorous security process and are thoroughly screened. This will not be the case for Superferry passengers and baggage, with the statement there will only be “selective screening.”

The County Councils of Maui, the Big Island and Kaua‘i have all been adamant in their request that the state of Hawai‘i requires an EIS prior to the start of the Superferry operations. A majority of the Neighbor Island state legislators have indicated their support for an EIS requirement, and thousands of individual citizens have made it abundantly clear that they believe an EIS should be mandatory.

No other harbor user or transportation carrier will have the “super impacts” that the Hawaii Superferry will have on our Neighbor Islands, and existing law requires an EIS if certain “triggers” are in place.

One of those triggers is the utilization of public funds on public lands to construct improvements that will result in significant new impacts. The financing of the Hawaii Superferry construction is being guaranteed by the federal government and the state taxpayers are funding $40 million in harbor improvements directly tied to the Superferry operations.

The broad, long-term and significant impacts of the Superferry operations, combined with its extensive reliance of public funding, translates to a higher level of public accountability. If this were a private business on private land utilizing only private funding, the situation might be different, but it is not.

Recently, public hearings on this issue were held across our state and the testimony presented was far-reaching and persuasive. From issues relating to traffic impacts, to increased criminal activity, to invasive species and the inevitable collisions with humpback whales, it is very clear that neither the Superferry developers nor the state Department of Transportation have thought this through. There is no credible, comprehensive evaluation on the extent of the impacts, no documented plan on how to deal with the specifics of these issues, and no written commitment as to who will pay the price for mitigating the impacts. Requiring an EIS does not translate into opposing the Superferry operation; it is simply the responsible thing to do.

• Gary Hooser is Senate Majority Leader, representing the 7th Senatorial District, covering Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau. He is a resident of Wailua and writes a biweekly column exclusive to The Garden Island.