Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — Groups rally against bill for phased archeological surveys [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Groups rally against bill for phased archeological surveys

By Garett Kamemoto The Hawai'i Legislature is poised to pass a bill to change the way developments are handled in the state by no longer forcing an Archeological Inventory Survey for all phases of a project before the start of construction. Last year, the Hawai'i Supreme Court ruled that the Honolulu rail project must complete the survey for all phases of the project before construction could begin. The governor proposed a bill that would allow a project to do the survey in phases. A eoalihon of Native Hawaiian, historic preservation and environmental groups held a rally calling on the Legislature to kill the bill. Ty Kāwika Tengan, chairman of Nāki'ikeaho, said the bill would undermine proper planning and reasoned decision-making. "Seeking solutions earlier rather than later will save

project costs, whieh would rise with last-minute changes to project design, and save cultural sites, whieh are themselves highly valued assets that make Hawai'i a distinct loeation for visitors and residents alike," Tengan said. Proponents of the bill say without the bill, road and other projects could be jeopardized,

as many projects are done in phases because of a laek of funding. They say the bill would not jeopardize any cultural sites. But opponents say the bill promotes poor planning prac-

tices that could lead to projects being redesigned midstream. The bill was heard by a conference committee and was passed out for a hnal vote on the floor of the state Senate. Should it pass, it will be sent to the governor, who is expected to sign it. As of press time, the final vote had not yet been taken. ■

Seeking solutions earlier ratherthan laterwill save project costs, whieh would rise with lastminute changes to project design, and save cultural sites, whieh are themselves highly valued assets that make Hawai'i a distinct location for visitors and residents alike." — TvKāwika Tenean

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LEGISLATIVE SESSIDN

«... I Ty Kāwika Tengan spoke at a state Capitol rally in April against Senate Bill 1171, whieh would allow for phasing Archaeological lnventory Surveys for development projects, as scores of individuals from Native Hawaiian, historic preservation and environmental groups hoist signs reading "Kill SB 1 1 71 " and " 'A'ole Phasing." - Photo: John Matsuzaki