Question: There was a large pile of sand that the city dredged from the mouth of Kaelepulu Stream in Kailua. In the past, they’ve taken that sand and put it back near the Kailua boat ramp. My understanding is that the city took the sand over to some city golf courses. Shouldn’t that sand, because we all know that sand is disappearing from our beaches, be put back at Kailua Beach where it came from?
Answer: The sand in question was not dredged from the mouth of Kaelepulu Stream, but farther mauka, past the bridge.
Both state and federal regulatory agencies have deemed that material unsuitable for replenishing the beach, said Ross Sasamura, director of the city Department of Facility Maintenance.
The state departments of Health and of Land and Natural Resources, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have jurisdiction over this matter, he said.
DLNR’s Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands inspected the sand material and, after finding it unsuitable for “beach nourishment,” recommended that it be disposed of in an upland area, said OCCL Administrator Sam Lemmo.
Because of that, the city is taking this sand for use at various municipal golf courses, Sasamura confirmed.
By state law, sand removed from canals and streams is required to be placed in adjacent areas unless the placement would result in significant turbidity.
“Turbidity” refers to the sand possibly making Kailua Beach waters cloudy or milky in appearance for a lengthy period of time, Lemmo said.
The sand dredged mauka of Kaelepulu Stream bridge is much finer than what is currently on the beach and would “pose potential issues with turbidity regulations of the Clean Water Act,” he said.
When OCCL inspects sand material for beach nourishment projects, it seeks “a good match with the existing beach material.”
In this case, “the impact on water clarity may affect recreational users’ visibility in the water, may affect sea life and change the overall appearance of Kailua Bay,” Lemmo said. For those reasons, the sand was determined to be unsuitable for Kailua Beach Park.
In June — http://is.gd/xXS3vp — Sasamura told Kokua Line that sand dredged from the mouth of Kaelepulu would be used to replenish beach areas in the immediate vicinity.
That sand was held along the stream bank pending identification of suitable sites for reuse at Kailua Beach Park, other city beach parks and parks along the Windward coast, as well as at other city facilities islandwide, in that order of priority, he said.
Question: I used to send the government’s Series EE savings bond to my grandchildren on their birthdays, but I understand they’re no longer being sold. What has happened to them, what has taken their place and what does one do when they mature?
Answer: The Series EE bonds continue to be sold.
What you probably are referring to is the announcement in 2011 that paper savings bonds no longer would be sold at financial institutions as of Jan. 1, 2012.
Series EE savings bonds remain available for purchase, but only electronically via treasurydirect.gov.
You can cash in your bonds at a financial institution, although the U.S. Treasury Department advises checking ahead of time to find out what identification and documents are required. Also, not all institutions may accept them so it pays to find out first.
For more information, go to www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ebonds/res_e_bonds.htm.
AUWE
To the six men who played at the West Loch Golf Course on Friday afternoon, Sept. 20. You were so slow that people behind you skipped holes to get around you. Is that fair to players who pay for 18 holes and have to golf fewer holes because of you? Two of you could have teed off on the next hole instead of everyone watching the last person putt. Learn some golf etiquette or stay off the course. — No Name
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