Court upholds $4M fine against Pflueger
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday upheld a state board’s decision to assess $4 million in penalties against retired auto dealer James Pflueger for runoff from his property that damaged a beach and coral reef on Kauai’s north shore.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources assessed the penalty in 2005 on Pflueger’s Pilaa 400 LLC.
The board found that the company’s unauthorized grading and other work resulted in the 2001 mudflows into the ocean waters.
In 2012 the state appeals court upheld the board’s decision. The high court affirmed the appeals court’s ruling.
Pflueger is scheduled to be sentenced April 16 in Kauai Circuit Court on a felony charge of reckless endangering related to the 2006 Ka Loko dam breach, which led to the deaths of seven people.
H-1, Pali ramps to be closed for 2 Sundays
State transportation officials are advising Oahu drivers of ramp closures at the H-1 freeway and Pali Highway during the next two Sundays.
Those closures, scheduled from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., include:
» The H-1 freeway eastbound Pali Highway offramp.
» The Punchbowl Street offramp.
» The Pali onramp to the eastbound H-1.
The state Department of Transportation advises drivers heading eastbound on the H-1 during the closures to use the Vineyard Boulevard and Kinau Street offramps as alternate routes. It also advises Pali drivers trying to get on the eastbound H-1 to turn left onto Vineyard and use the next freeway onramp past Punchbowl.
The closures will allow crews to work on the H-1 repaving and rehabilitation project taking place this year in town, DOT officials said.
