Governor Lingle Releases Funds for Kalaupapa Harbor Facility Repairs

HONOLULU – Emergency repairs to the bulkhead wall at the Kalaupapa Harbor facility on Moloka‘i began earlier this month as the first phase of improvements to the harbor. Governor Linda Lingle has released $595,000 for these repairs.

The Department of Health (DOH), which oversees medical and facility operations at the Kalaupapa Settlement, found that the deterioration of the wall was accelerating and it may not survive another season of winter waves. The wall protects a historic warehouse located at the edge of the harbor.

The Kalaupapa Harbor was built in 1967 by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Forty-one DOH employees, 30 Kalaupapa residents, 42 National Park Service employees and three state Department of Transportation employees who live in Kalaupapa rely on the delivery of supplies, including gasoline, heavy equipment, motor vehicles, bulk supplies and general merchandise that are shipped twice a year to the settlement.

“Kalaupapa is not only home to 30 residents, but also serves as a place for educating residents and visitors,” said Governor Lingle. “Repairing the bulkhead wall will ensure that crucial deliveries can continue to the Kalaupapa Settlement, one of the most important cultural and historic sites in our state.”

Construction is scheduled to be completed in September 2007.