Schatz, Buttigieg Tour Lāhainā Recovery Effort, Discuss How Federal Investments Are Making Maui’s Infrastructure Safer, More Accessible, Resilient
Joined by Senator Hirono, Representative Tokuda, Mayor Bissen, Local Leaders
LAHAINA – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Maui today and received an update from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency on the ongoing recovery effort from the wildfires in Lahaina. Schatz and Buttigieg also received an update on the Honoapi‘ilani Highway realignment project and discussed how historic federal investments are helping make infrastructure on Maui, like the highway, safer and more accessible for residents, as well as more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“The recovery effort in Lahaina is making good progress, but there is much more work left to do,” said Senator Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. “Debris removal has come a long way and is on track for completion. A temporary school for students is also on the verge of opening on April 1. But housing continues to be the most pressing priority and we need to urgently build units to provide survivors with long-term certainty. The federal government has and will continue to play a key role in supporting the recovery for as long as it takes and helping get people back on their feet.”
Schatz added, “As we do that, we’re going to continue fighting to get federal resources to make infrastructure on Maui and across Hawai‘i safer, more accessible, and more resilient.”
Schatz helped secure $45 million in grants and earmarks for the Honoapi‘ilani Highway realignment project, including a $22 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as an additional $23 million in a congressional earmark. The project, which will realign 4.5 miles of the highway from Ukumehame to Launiupoko, will help protect the vital highway from sea level rise and coastal erosion, ensuring it remains safe and accessible for decades to come.
Video of Senator Schatz’s Remarks on Maui Available Here
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