Cleanup from Maui fires complicated by island's logistical challenges, cultural significance

. The hazardous materials, including oil, solvent and batteries, are being shipped to the West Coast while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works with local officials to develop a plan to dispose of an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 tons of debris on the island. could end up being one of the most complex to date, federal officials said, given the island's significant cultural sites, its rich history including a royal residence and possibly remains of people who died in the disaster.

"This will be the most complex fire response to date," said Corps' debris subject matter expert Cory Koger, who since 2017 has responded to cleanups of seven wildfires sites“We need to expedite the cleanup for a number of reasons. One, they’re still residents living within the area. There are businesses still functional ... That’s a public health issue,” Koger continued, adding that there are also significant “cultural concerns” associated with the debris removal.The Aug.

Before any work begins on a parcel, a cultural assessment will be done to determine if anything might have cultural significance such as burial plots or markers and certain types of plants or trees. The monitors are there to ensure there isn't further harm to anything flagged in the assessment. “There is going to be more attention to detail. They have to go at a slower pace," said Native Hawaiian Micah Kamohoali’i, an archeologist and cultural specialist."They can't dig too far into the ground because there are so many generations of history buried in the ground.”

Much of the debate around waste removal is over environmental concerns versus the desire to rebuild. Authorities last month said the Hawaii Department of Health reported that sampling and monitoring of the burn sites did not “show evidence of poor air quality or any hazardous levels of contaminants in the air." County officials, however, warned that ash “may contain toxic, cancer-causing chemicals with debris including broken glass, exposed electric wire and other objects.

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