HONOLULU (AP) — An environmental assessment found no significant impact from a plan to dismantle a breakwater off the south shore of Oahu, thus giving the project the green light. ADVERTISING HONOLULU (AP) — An environmental assessment found no significant
HONOLULU (AP) — An environmental assessment found no significant impact from a plan to dismantle a breakwater off the south shore of Oahu, thus giving the project the green light.
The rock wall designed to protect the shore from waves is being dismantled to prevent swimmers from jumping off it into the water — an activity some feel is too dangerous, Hawaii News Now (http://bit.ly/2tIvL7c) reported Sunday.
The $2.5 million privately funded project proposed by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art in November 2016 is expected to start late 2018.
Since building the breakwater in 1937, the Doris Duke foundation has dealt with several lawsuits after swimmers were injured at the location. In an attempt to prevent the dives, the foundation installed a 6-foot-tall (2-meter-tall) fence along the shoreline walkway in 2014, but the security team saw it as ineffective.
Boulders from the Diamond Head breakwater will be used to stabilize the shoreline, while the Koko Head side breakwater will remain in place.
The foundation said it is going through the permitting process and will finish the environmental review stage by this fall.
