Hawaii judge orders new environmental review of wave pool that foes say is a waste of water

HONOLULU– A judge has put plans for an artificial wave pool on hold until developers can review an environmental assessment to address concerns raised by Native Hawaiians and others who say the project is unnecessary in the birthplace of surfing and a waste of water.

In granting an injunction Tuesday, Hawaii Environmental Court Judge Shirley Kawamura ordered a new review of concerns, including impacts on water supplies and anticipated growth in the area.

A group of Native Hawaiians and other residents filed a lawsuit last year challenging the Hawaii Community Development Authority’s approval of the 19-acre (7.6-hectare) Honokea Surf Village planned for west Oahu, which concluded that it did not will have significant environmental impacts.

Opponents of the project say the wave pool, with a capacity of 7 million gallons (26 million liters), is not needed within two miles of the ocean and another existing wave pool.

Project sponsor and renowned Native Hawaiian waterman Brian Keaulana said the artificial waves are useful for competitive surfers to train on perfect waves that are sometimes difficult to achieve in the ocean. Customizable surfing, he said, can also help create ideal conditions for teaching surfing and life-saving skills.

“Our goal of creating a place that combines cultural education with skills-based recreation must be done in a way that does not harm our natural resources,” he said Wednesday in a statement. “The court’s decision gives us the opportunity to review environmental concerns, especially our water resources.”

The judge said in her ruling that there was “insufficient evidence for the HCDA to determine whether there is a likelihood of irrevocable impairment of natural resources and whether the secondary and cumulative impacts of water use, injection, land use changes and wildlife mitigation would likely lead to a significant impact, thus favoring an injunction.”

The current assessment is “ambiguous as to the specific form, timing, and actual daily water use implicated in the initial and periodic filling of the lagoon,” the decision stated.

However, the development authority has made sufficient assessment of the potential impact on historic preservation and burials, he added. The HCDA declined to comment Wednesday on the decision.

Developers say the project would come from a private water company separate from the Oahu water utility, using a supply that was compromised decades ago.

But the judge noted that they draw from the same underlying aquifer.

“Thus, additional analyzes are needed to fully capture the potential cumulative impact of anticipated growth and subsequent increases in competitive water demand,” the decision stated.

The State Attorney General’s Office said it is analyzing the decision.

Healani Sonoda-Pale, one of the plaintiffs, called the decision a “pono decision,” using a Hawaiian word that can mean “fair.”

“There has been a lot of talk about Hawaiians being on both sides of the issue,” she said. “Building a wave pool is not a cultural practice. The threat from a wave pool… is immense in terms of the number of people it can affect.”