Forum

MEDIA RELEASE – 6/25/2012
CONTACT: Butch Gima, President, Lanaians for Sensible Growth
Lanaians for Sensible Growth (LSG) Petitions to Intervene in
Sale of Lana`i Utilities
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Lanaians For Sensible Growth (LSG), a grassroots advocacy organization with a special interest in water
resources on the island of Lana`i for the past 20 years, has filed a Motion to Intervene in Public Utilities
Commission (PUC) Docket 2012-0157, Castle and Cooke’s Application to transfer a number of PUC regulated
utilities to the proposed new “owner” of the Island of Lana`i, Oracle’s Larry Ellison.
“The unprecedented speed with which Castle and Cooke is seeking to transfer Lana`i utilities to an
otherwise unknown entity, coupled with a complete lack of transparency at the community level, caused LSG to
take this step,” according to Butch Gima, spokesperson for LSG. “There is no indication that Ellison or any of
his companies or subsidiaries has any experience at running utilities, and a vague promise of spending a few
million in ‘aid of construction’? We don’t even know what that means.”
For over eleven years, members of LSG have served on the Lana`i Water Advisory Committee to
produce a state-mandated Water Use and Development Plan, which was recently adopted by Maui County
Ordinance and awaits approval by the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM).
“There is no other organization on island that is better positioned to understand, monitor and oversee the
use of water resources and related utilities than LSG,” said Gima, “we’ve been doing just that for decades. We
are astonished that the PUC could possibly complete the required due diligence in just eight days. What will
they know, in that short period of time, about Ellison’s experience as a Hawaii landowner, yet alone his (or his
company’s) management abilities to oversee Lana’i’s critical life-support system?” Gima asked.
“There is no explanation for the breakneck speed Castle and Cooke is seeking to pass on the utility
assets and operations, aside from a vague reference that ‘the deal’ has to close tomorrow or it’s in jeopardy.
We’ve been trying for months to determine if the rumored sale was a go or not, but no one would talk to the
community. Perhaps the PUC will facilitate this belated discussion.”
CONTACT:
Reynold “Butch” Gima, 808-559-9566