Marine Log - October 2007 - (Page 19) COVERSTORY ROUGH WATERS B ack in April, John Garbaldi was given the key to the City of Mobile, Ala., as the president and CEO of Hawaii Superferry, the company formed back in 2003 with the dream of bringing high-speed vehicle, passenger and cargo service to the Hawaiian islands. Garbaldi probably wishes that the key could somehow help his company escape from its current situation. That’s because Hawaii Superferry service has been idled by court cases and environmental protesters stemming from a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on Aug. 23 saying that an environmental assessment should have been conducted for the ferry operation. At press time, the company was involved in court cases in Maui and Kauai. In the Kauai circuit court case, the judge dismissed five major portions of the lawsuit filed by the environmental advocacy group 1000 Friends of Kauai, including the need to conduct the environmental assessment. The group is expected to file an appeal to the Hawaii Supreme Court. In a statement, Hawaii Superferry said: “We are pleased to have agreement on the dismissal of any remaining claims against Hawaii Superferry’s Kauai operations after Judge Valenciano dismissed any environmental claims last week. Hawaii Superferry does not plan on resuming service to Kauai until the hearings on Maui have concluded and a decision has been rendered. As we stated last week, the long-term perspective of HEADING FOR the company is that a temporary delay serves the community best.” Factored into that decision was what occurred during maiden voyages on Aug. 26 and 27 from Oahu to Kauai. Hawaii Superferry’s huge catamaran ferry, the Alakai, was met by protesters in Nawiliwili Harbor demanding that the service be halted until an environmental assessment was conducted. Hundreds of protesters on surfboards and in canoes and kayaks blocked the path of the ferry for hours, preventing the vessel from docking. Once in port, aggressive protesters tried to intimidate disembarking passengers. A few of the protesters were arrested on misdemeanor charges. SECURITY ZONE ENFORCEMENT After the incidents on Aug. 26 and 27, the State of Hawaii worked with local enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard to set up a security zone around the vessel in anticipation of a restart of the service. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle stressed that federal, state and county law enforcement agencies would strictly enforce a temporary security zone established at Naw- www.marinelog.com OCTOBER 2007 MARINE LOG 19 http://www.marinelog.com
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