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KERN: Thank you.
<br /> VITOUSEK: Alex, is there anything you want to add to that?
<br /> ROY: I just wanted to say that some of you may or may not know, I worked for OCCL, which is
<br /> the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands, for seven years—so that's managing the state's
<br /> coastal zone across every single island. I have two, not one but two degrees in geology and have
<br /> 15 years of experience in coastal zone management and coastal development.
<br /> The person who put together the erosion report is (indiscernible—simultaneous speech) and does
<br /> not have the experienceoh, I'm getting some feedback—does not have the experience so the
<br /> study itself was, did not include things that you would typically see in any normal erosion
<br /> control report. And I know, contrary to popular belief, I did in fact read the report many times,
<br /> and as a published scientist myself, I, it was lacking seriously in information and data. The
<br /> conclusions were sloppy and based on inaccurate information or lack of information, and the
<br /> statements used and the information used was old and outdated. So we just felt that it was unfair
<br /> for the director to make a decision based on poor information. So we approached the applicant
<br /> to come up and buff up this report so that we could, you know, take a look at possible
<br /> alternatives to protecting the lawn area, which is essentially what this project aims to do and
<br /> what the applicant has stated up until seven days ago. So we were, we just, we just wanted more
<br /> information. There is no littoral cell, which is primary in any erosion report. You have to look
<br /> at the littoral cell of the entire area, which, to answer your question, Mr. Van Pernis, you would
<br /> need to look at the impacts of the northern and southern, you know, sections of seawall and how
<br /> they impact the littoral cell and thus impact, you know, the property, and then the addition of this
<br /> structure, which the applicant admitted would turn into a seawall in the future, by everything
<br /> makai of that wall would just erode away and you need to have a seawall. And I have seen that
<br /> in my experience many times over, not just here in Hawaii but also on the mainland; when a
<br /> structure is built, you lose the makai face of material, and then you could lose the seawall. And
<br /> we've seen that in Hawaii. Maui is a great example of failed seawalls just falling onto the
<br /> beach. So, again, we just, we were hoping for more information. The applicant was reluctant to
<br /> give that, so it was kind of unfair for the director to be asked to make a decision when he doesn't
<br /> have all the information. And I could speak to the erosion report, I won't, but, you know, unless
<br /> the Commission would like me to do that, I can do that.
<br /> VITOUSEK: That's not necessary for me at this point. I just want to recognize Alex is a
<br /> professional history in this department, and that he is a tremendous asset for Hawaii County in
<br /> evaluating exactly this scenario. So I think we need to weigh heavily on his expertise in this.
<br /> Are there any other questions from the commissioners? We'll get to you, Mr. Pieri, during the
<br /> applicant's portion. Commissioner Carr Smith.
<br /> CARR SMITH: Thank you, Mike (echo) mm, pray it won't echo. I just had a couple of quick
<br /> questions for Alex. I, too, wondered about the wall to the south. Does the county have any
<br /> information about when that wall was built and if it had any effect on that same Honl's Beach?
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<br /> EXHIBIT A
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