Controversial Maui Water Official Reassigned After Deadly Wildfires
The Maui official who shockingly delayed permitting water to be released to fight the deadly wildfires has been reassigned. Kaleo Manuel was the controversial Deputy Director of the state’s Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM).
As the blazes erupted, the West Maui Land Company requested approval from the Commission to divert water from streams to help contain the fires. The answer it received was startling.
CWRM instead asked for inquiries to be made with downstream users about possible impacts from a temporary reduction in their water flow.
This reaction came as the deadly wildfires raced through residential neighborhoods and killed over 100 residents. The primary concern was apparently on the possible impact of a short term reduction in water flow downstream.
In no uncertain terms, the land company described seeing the deadly devastation “without the ability to help. We anxiously awaited the morning knowing that we could have made more water available to MFD [Maui Fire Department] if our request had been immediately approved.”
As for Manuel, he has been reassigned to a different Department of Land and Resources post.
The agency said his removal should not indicate that he did anything “wrong.” Instead, it is to permit the focus to be on assisting the survivors of the devastating fires.
Manuel is a former Obama Foundation leader who recorded a video claiming water should be revered instead of used. He explained that utilizing water should be based on “equity.”
According to Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, water usage on the islands is a constant issue.
In a Monday press conference, Green said that “people need to understand, especially those from far away…there’s been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years.”
He emphasized that “it’s important that we’re honest about this. People have been fighting against the release of water to fight fires. I’ll leave that for you to explore.”
Green said there is an ongoing review at every state level of decisions made during the tragic fires. He reiterated that the state has a difficult time getting water on Maui and in rural areas “for any response.”
The governor then repeated that there are those on the islands — presumably Kaleo Manuel was one of them — “still fighting in our state giving us water access to fight and prepare for fires even as more storms arise.”
