There is a hotbed of controversy about sugar cane burning on Maui. Protesters say the environmental pollution and health problems caused by the sugar cane burning are intolerable. Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., a corporate subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, says it must burn the sugar cane to have a profitable operation.
Everyone who lives on Maui knows about the problems caused by the ash fall, known as Maui snow. It takes a huge free labor force to clean up all that mess. Thousands of Maui folks work for free to clean up the ashes after every burn.
The high cost of cleaning up the Maui snow has not yet entered the debate. It is extremely doubtful that HC&S would be profitable if it had to pay for the cost of cleaning up the ashes and damages caused by its sugar cane burning.
Why are we responsible to clean up the mess? HC&S should be responsible for the high cost of cleaning up Maui snow.
Mary Overbay
Puunene
