Question: Auwe! Saturday was a shocking day at the Ala Wai Canal. Huge amounts of tree debris and garbage were floating rapidly in the brown water toward the ocean! Such a sad day for boaters, the Genki Ala Wai Project and ocean life. Please clear the debris upstream, because it does not just float “away.”
Answer: You are one of many readers dismayed by a deluge of debris, including tree branches and other green waste, garbage and the apparent remnants of homeless camps, that flowed into the ocean entrance of the Ala Wai Canal and into the harbor after heavy rain. The debris was generated far upstream, a state official said.
Employees of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation and contracted crews with heavy equipment are cleaning up the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, which is the largest recreational boat harbor in the state.
“This work is endless, as past experience has shown that once an area is cleaned up, more trash comes in. This debris is generated far upstream and unfortunately the entrance to the ocean and the small boat harbor forms a collection basin,” DOBOR Administrator Meghan Staffs said Monday in a news release. “The debris is not a DOBOR issue and outfalls from the stream and under the Ala Wai bridge need to be addressed to prevent post-storm rubbish from even reaching the harbor. Our division has been raising this issue for more than 25 years.”
DOBOR teams removed trash and debris from finger piers Monday, and a contractor with heavy equipment was hired to remove debris from the trap at the mouth of the canal today, the news release said.
As for the bio-remediation project that uses microbial Genki Balls to decompose sludge at the bottom of the canal, volunteers have persisted through previous storm runoff events. As of August, 165,991 Genki Balls have been placed in the Waikiki waterway, according to the project’s website, which says that since 2019 progress has depended heavily on volunteers and donors. Read more at genkialawai.org.
Health insurance help
Hawaii residents who don’t have health insurance and don’t qualify for Medicaid can get help obtaining coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace during open enrollment. The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii said in a news release that it has staff on hand to help people navigate the process, reminding eligible residents of five key points:
>> Deadline: Marketplace open enrollment begins Friday and ends Jan. 15. After Jan. 15, “consumers need to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in a 2025 Marketplace plan. Triggers for a special enrollment period include loss of healthcare insurance, change in household composition, marriage, birth of a baby, or loss of income,” the news release said.
>> Affordable coverage: “Through the Inflation Reduction Act, more people qualify for financial help with health insurance costs. Four out of five customers can find a plan for $10/month or less after subsidies.”
>> Quality plans: “Marketplace plans cover 10 essential health benefits, including doctor visits, emergency care, behavioral health care, preventative care, hospital care, and prescription drugs.”
>> To enroll: Consumers can visit healthcare.gov or call 800-318-2596 to enroll in a health insurance plan; preview plans on the website now, before open enrollment begins Friday. Or, those who need more help navigating the process can call the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii for assistance. Call 808-536-4302, option 2, the news release said.
By contrast, Hawaii residents who qualify for Medicaid would apply for it through the state Department of Human Services. Go to medquest.hawaii.gov for more information.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
