FLASHBACK: Hawaii Official Prioritizes ‘Equity’ Over Firefighters’ Water Supply

A Hawaii Official Sparks Controversy ‌Over Water Access

A Hawaii ‍official‌ accused of ⁤withholding water from firefighters battling this month’s deadly wildfires said last year that‌ his state should make access ​to ​water⁤ conditional on “conversations about equity.”

M. Kaleo Manuel, who was ‌ deputy director for the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management, has been under scrutiny⁢ since local outlets ⁣reported he delayed the release of water into‌ reservoirs to help firefighters battle last ‍week’s deadly fire that claimed more ⁣than 100 lives.

Delays and Devastation

The West Maui Land Company alleged in an Aug. 10 letter to⁤ Manuel that his agency ‍delayed releasing the water for five hours at a critical ⁤early stage of the wildfires. According‍ to⁣ Honolulu Civil Beat, sources said ‌ Manuel was responsible for the delay. They said Manuel asked the company to consult with a local farmer⁤ about the impacts‌ of diverting water before ‌he‍ would allow‍ the company access to the water.

The company,⁣ which ⁢operates three⁣ of the ⁢water providers in west ‍Maui, had requested the agency divert water to its reservoirs after nearby firefighters ran out of water. Manuel finally ‍released the water ⁣five hours after the‌ request was ⁢initially made.

“We​ watched the devastation around us without the ability to help,” the⁤ company said in a letter ​to ​Manuel ‍last ‌week. “We⁢ anxiously awaited the morning knowing that we could have⁤ made more water available‌ to MFD if our request had been immediately approved.”

Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources reassigned Manuel to⁢ another ​position within the department after‍ his role in the disaster was‍ widely reported. The department urged the​ public to ‌reserve judgment on Manuel “until all⁢ the facts are known.”

Controversial Views on Water Distribution

The decision comes 10 months after Manuel appeared in a livestream hosted by the University‌ of Hawai’i in which he suggested the distribution of water should be ⁢decided based on “equity.”

“My motto⁢ is always like, ‘Let water connect us and not divide us,'” Manuel said in the resurfaced clip. “We can share it, ⁣but ‌it requires true ​conversations about equity.”

“We’ve become used to looking at water⁤ as something which we ⁣use and ⁤not necessarily ⁢something that​ we revere,” Manuel added.

Manuel was a 2019⁤ “leader” at the Obama Foundation. His bio on the foundation’s website ‌says he ‌believes “ancient wisdom and traditional‍ ecological knowledge of native peoples ⁤will⁤ help save the ‍Earth.”

Additional Scrutiny on Hawaiian Electric

Hawaii’s⁢ electricity⁢ provider, Hawaiian Electric, is also ⁢facing scrutiny amid reports that its power​ lines may⁤ have ‌started⁣ the blaze. According to ‍the Wall ‍Street ⁣Journal, ⁤the⁣ company years ⁣ago committed⁢ to invest in ⁢reducing⁣ the fire risk posed by its​ power lines, but made little progress. Instead, the⁣ Journal reported, Hawaiian Electric was focused on ⁤its goal of⁣ “procuring ⁢renewable energy.”