Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 3, 1 March 2021 — Not in Anyone's Backyard II: Our Promise to Future Generations [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Not in Anyone's Backyard II: Our Promise to Future Generations

By Anthony Makana Paris, JD & Kamuela Werner, MPH Hulō! We ean all breathe a little easier now that Hawai'i has a new law that requires a onehalf mile "buffer zone" between 'ōpala and our homes, schools, and hospitals. What does this mean? Current waste or disposal facilities, including landfills, cannot expand next to our communities ! Our children no longer have to play next to new waste or disposal facilities. All of the suffering endured and the decreased life expectancies of those living next to 'ōpala was not in vain. The environmentally racist policies that previously allowed waste or disposal facilities, like the PVT Landfill that operates a mere 500-feet from our homes in Nānākuli, ean no longer be implemented in this state. Hawai'i has enacted one of the most progressive environmental justice laws in its history. The story of Hawai'i's new "buffer zone" law is rooted in the mo'olelo of the 'ohana and hui who fought for the heahh and quality of life of their community in the face of PVT T.andfiirs current nnerations and the,ir nrnnnsed

relocation plans to remain in Nānākuli, only 750-feet away from our homes. Two "buffer zone" bills were introduced by the Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Hawai'i State Legislature, chaired by Rep. Daniel Holt in the House and Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole in the Senate. These bills received significant opposition through the legislative process from those tied to the waste management industry, county governments, and even the Hawai'i Department of Heakh. These groups pointed out that most, if not all, of the current waste or disposal facilities would be shut down if either of the bills were to pass unamended. What did that tell advocates of the new law? That in our beloved Hawai'i, most waste or disposal facilities, including landfills, are within one-half mile of our homes, schools, and hospitals. Hawai'i's newest congressman, Kaiali'i Kahele, a former state senator and a stalwart ehampion for environmental justice for all peoples across the islands, shared the following during the hnal vote on the Senate version of the bihs SR9 "this nattern nf mar<nnalizing Indigenous,

minority, and low-ineome communities is a strong example of environmental racism and it ean no longer be ignored, and it ean no longer go without redress. Every eommunity in Hawai'i has the right to a healthful, healthy environment and no community should bear the disproportionate risks and consequences of environmental pollution." Joining him was Sen. Kurt Fevella, the Republican Minority Leader, who also stood in strong support of the new law, showing all that public heahh and safety is not a partisan issue.

Congressman Kahele went on to say during his floor speech that, "toxic eoal ash, asbestos, contaminated petroleum soil and thousands of tons of construction and demolition waste have no plaee within 750-feet of any Hawai'i residential neighborhood." Rep. Stacelynn Eli, whose district PVT Landfill operates in, did a tremendous job supporting the bills while addressing the concerns of those in the waste management industry and particularly those they employed. Rep. Ryan Yamane, as the former chair of the Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs Committee, played a critical role in working with other legislators to address and alleviate almost all of the concerns raised by opponents to the bills. The Senate voted 24 in favor and only one against, while the House voted 45 in favor and only six against. Gov. David Ige signed SB2386 into law on Sep. 15, 2020, even though he was under formidable pressure to veto the bill. This monumental environmental justice legislation accomplishes two practical things: it protects our eonservation districts, and ultimately our watersheds and drinking water, and it protects our communities from the harmful effects of 'ōpala. The new law allows all current waste or disposal facilities to continue operation to their natural end, but it prohibits them from expanding at those locations. The new law also prohibits the construction of new 'ōpala facilities within one-half mile of our communities. This amazing achievement was due to an unprecedented partnership between grassroots efforts, labor unions, elected leaders, Hawaiian Civic Clubs, environmental groups, and the greater civil society. Special thanks go to Hawai'i Ironworkers Stabilization Fund Director T. George Paris, SEE N0T ANY0NES'S BACKYARD ON PAGE 13

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'Aī Pohaku-The Stone Eaters Animal Rlghts Hawai'i Association of Hawaiian Civics Clubs Democratic Party of Hawai'i Labor Caucus Department of Lanel and Natural Resources Hawai'i Labor Coalition Hawai'i Building & Construction Trades Council Hawai'i State Teachers Association Hawai'i Teamsters & Allied Workers Loeal 996 Hawai'i Youth Climate Coalition IATSE Loeal 665 ILWU Loeal 142 IBEW Loeal 1186 lron Workers Loeal 625 lron Workers Stabilization Fund Kalihi Palama Hawaiian Civic Club Ke One O Kākuhihewa, O'ahu Council of the AHCC

Ko'olauloa Hawaiian Civic Club LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i Moku o Keawe, Hawai'i Council of the AHCC Moku o Manokalanipō, Kaua'i Council of the AHCC Na Hono A'o Pi'ilani, Maui Council of the AHCC Office of Hawaiian Affairs Plumbers and Fitters Loeal 675 Pride @ Work - Hawai'i Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club Reynolds Recycling, ine. SAG-AFTRA Sierra Club of Hawai'i Surfrider O'ahu United Food & Commercial Workers Union Loeal 480 Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club Young Progressives Demanding Action Zero Waste O'ahu

The authors wish to thank all 34 organizations that provided written testimony in support of the passage of Hawai'i's "buffer zone" law. - Photo: Courtesy Mokona Paris and Kamuela Werner

Former Hawai'i State Senator and now U.S. Congressman Kaiali'i Kahele championed the passage of SB 2386. - Photo: Courtesy

NOT ANYONE'S BAGKYARD

Continued from page 12

Lauren Watanabe of Sierra Club of Hawai'i, Maui County Council Vice-Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernan-dez, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Kaua'i Council President Malia-Nobrega, Unele Eddie Werner of Nānākuli, and Hawai'i Building and Construction Trades Council Director Gino Soquena. The late Aunty "Dolly" Naiwi, former president of Nānāikapono Hawaiian Civic Club and a Nānākuli High School

educator, had a dream to see a flourishing eommunity without landfills. With the passage of Hawai'i's "buffer zone" law, we are mueh closer to fulfilling her dream. Friends, 'ohana, and community members, let us celebrate our collective victory. We have successfully made a promise to future generations that landfills will not be in anyone's backyard. ■ Anthony Makana Paris is from Nānākuli, O'ahu, and resides in Kapolei. He is the president of Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club and works as a research analyst with tlie Iron Workers Stabilization Fund. Makana graduatedfrom Nānākuli Elementary, Kamehameha Schools, MIT with a B.S. in environmental science and engineering, the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa CIara, and the William S. Richardson School ofLaw. Kamuela Werner is from Mā'ili-Nānākuli, O'ahu, and resides in Kapolei. He is a graduate student in applied cultural anthropology and museum studies, and a research assistant at the Center for Oral History at the University ofHawai'i at Mānoa (UHM). He graduated from Nānākuli High and Intermediate Scliool, andfrom UHM witli a B.S. in natural resource and environmental management, and master of public health, His current research seeks to document and address tlie environmental heakh concerns ofNānākuli residents living adjacent to the PVT Landfill.

Aunty Kapiolani "Dolly" Naiwi was the former President of Nōnōikapono Hawaiian Civic Club and wilhoul their foundational work we would nol have Hawai'i's "buffer zone" law today. - Photo: Courtesy Naiwi 'Ohana