The state water official who was reassigned in a controversial move following the Lahaina fire disaster and then reinstated two months later is apparently leaving his job.
Hawaii island state Sen. Lorraine Inouye issued a statement Tuesday saying the departure of Kaleo Manuel as deputy director of the Commission on Water Resource Management will be effective Jan. 5.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation for the dedicated service of Kaleo Manuel during his tenure as the Commission on Water Resources First Deputy,” Inouye said in a news release. “Kaleo Manuel has had an outstanding track record as the CWRM First Deputy, and he will be truly missed. He was always fair and balanced in his approach to making water conservation decisions. As the CWRM First Deputy, he always kept the ‘Aina, and the water rights of the people of Hawaii front of mind when doing his job. His departure is a loss for the State, as he leaves behind an outstanding track record that reflects his unwavering commitment to the people of Hawai‘i.”
Land Board Chair Dawn Chang previously said that the state attorney general had requested that Manuel be deployed to another Department of Land and Natural Resources division while an investigation of personnel events related to the Aug. 8 wildfires was completed.
At the time, both DLNR and the Attorney General’s Office declined to elaborate on what led to the reassignment as well as the specific subject and outcome of the investigation. Both offices said they couldn’t discuss the matter because it was a personnel matter.
The removal of Manuel as the Water Commission’s top staffer had angered Native Hawaiians and conservationists across the state. There were rallies in his support, harsh criticism leveled at public meetings and a lawsuit seeking his reinstatement.
Manuel was transferred to the state Historic Preservation Division by Chang a week after the Aug. 8 firestorm marched across Lahaina town, killing at least 100 people, destroying more than 2,200 structures and causing nearly $6 billion in damage.
Manuel’s transfer came after a letter was sent to him — and copied to Chang and Gov. Josh Green — from Glenn Tremble of the West Maui Land Co., who said his request to fill the company’s reservoirs with stream water on the day of the fire was delayed by Manuel by about five hours — too late to contribute to the firefight.
But many have pointed out since then that any action to fill reservoirs on that day likely wouldn’t have helped much as none of the streams are connected to fire hydrants, and winds of 60 mph or more were too strong for helicopters to make water drops that day.
Wayne Tanaka, director of the Sierra Club of Hawaii, said he was disappointed to hear that Manuel was leaving his job. He said much was accomplished under Manuel’s leadership.
Inouye agreed.
“One of Kaleo’s remarkable qualities was his constant consideration for the water rights of the people of Hawai‘i. He understood the vital role that water plays in our daily lives and the broader implications for our environment. Whether addressing issues of allocation, sustainability, or infrastructure, Kaleo always kept the ‘Aina and the well-being of our communities at the forefront of his decision- making,” the senator said in a statement.
During his tenure, Manuel guided DLNR and the Commission on Water Resources through the Red Hill crisis, and in 2022 he implemented the Lahaina Aquifer Sector Area as both a Surface and Ground Water Management Area, which has been widely supported by the West Maui community. In 2019 he was instrumental in reorganizing the commission.
