Hawaiian Cement’s proposed facility relocation project at Kahului Harbor in Maui passed another hurdle in the lengthy permitting process, reported The Maui News.
The Maui Planning Commission voted unanimously to accept the producer’s final environmental assessment and issue a finding of no significant impact for the project, which entails building a new $6.5 million facility 600 ft. northeast of current operations.
As the sole bulk cement import facility on Maui, the project is critical, according to Kurt Wollenhaupt, county planner. It will “continue the flow of cement into the island of Maui so that concrete can be made, poured and used…,” he said.
Addressing previous construction concerns, Tessa Munekiyo Ng, project consultant at Munekiyo Hiraga, said an air-inflated PVC fabric structure will be used to set each silo’s shape. All construction will happen inside the structure, including insulation, reinforcing steel and concrete work.
“This construction methodology provides for a clean work area, is environmentally friendly and economical,” Munekiyo Ng said.
The two silos will be 90-ft. tall, complying with zoning height limits. They will have a capacity of 6,000 tons, nearly doubling the capacity of the existing silos. Installation of two under underground pipelines will connect the silos to Pier 3.
The Planning Department will send the final environmental assessment decision to the state Office of Environmental Quality Control for a 30-day period. If the determination stands, then the department will continue working with Hawaiian Cement to process an application for a special management area use permit and also shoreline setback variance.
