State water commission first deputy Kaleo Manuel reinstated

The state Commission on Water Resource Management has reinstated first deputy Kaleo Manuel, who was reassigned in a controversial move following the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire disaster.

CWRN chairperson Dawn Chang said in a news release today that Manuel’s reinstatement is effective immediately.

“On Aug. 15, 2023, the Attorney General had requested that Manuel be deployed to another DLNR Division until her investigation of certain personnel events related to the August 8, 2023, Maui wildfires was completed,” Chang said.

The removal of Manuel as the Water Commission’s top staffer had angered many Native Hawaiians and conservationists across the state. There had been rallies in his support, harsh criticism leveled at public meetings, and a lawsuit seeking his reinstatement.

“I was informed today, that the Attorney General has completed her review of this isolated issue,” Chang said in today’s news release. “I would like to thank Dean Uyeno for stepping in as the Acting Deputy Director of CWRM and appreciate his steady leadership of CWRM during this unprecedented time.”

Manuel was transferred from his position by Chang on Aug. 16, in the aftermath of the wildfire that tore through the heart of Lahaina, killing at least 98 people and destroying more than 2,200 structures.

In a letter to Manuel — and copied to Chang and Gov. Josh Green — Glenn Tremble of the West Maui Land Co. 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.

Many have pointed out that any action to fill reservoirs on that day likely would have been fruitless 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.