The DOT is proposing to make various permanent site improvements at its 5.2-acre Kahului Baseyard, which was constructed about 40 years ago and sits on a 22-acre parcel of state-owned land.

The facilities at the baseyard are nearing the “end of their useful life” and in need of refurbishment, according to a final environmental assessment that was posted Thursday in the state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development’s “Environmental Notice.”

According to the report, the baseyard has developed “structural deficiencies,” such as physical wear and corrosion of the electrical systems and fueling station as well as the outdated water, electrical and telecommunication systems.

Additionally, the existing storage tanks are no longer passing the inspection for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Regulation and “need to be replaced as soon as possible,” the report said.

A map shows the layout of the state Department of Transportation’s Kahului Baseyard near the Kahului Airport. LIMTIACO CONSULTING GROUP map

The baseyard is located at 650 Palapala Dr. near the Kahului Airport and is bordered by Haleakala Highway and parcels of undeveloped land.

Site improvements will include several upgrades to the existing fuel station, including the replacement of two existing 2,000-gallon above-ground fuel tanks with one new 5,000-gallon and one new 2,000-gallon above-ground fuel tanks, according to the report.

One of the new tanks will be for gasoline and the other tank will be for diesel fuel. The new tanks will be placed on relatively the same footprint as the originals, with secondary containment systems in place to provide protection in case of any fuel spills.

The electrical system in portions of the baseyard will also be upgraded, along with associated equipment, concrete pavement and traffic bollards.

Some of the proposed improvements will be completed as part of the Maui District Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Program to upgrade the facility and minimize the discharge of pollutants in stormwater runoff from the site, the report said.

Replacement of the aging fuel station canopy and vehicle wash rack, and the installation of photovoltaic systems may occur in future phases of the project.

State lands and funds will be utilized for the project, which could begin by the end of the year. The estimated cost for the initial phase of the project is $1.9 million.

Completion of the project would allow DOT to accommodate present and future operational needs by improving baseyard facilities and on-site infrastructure.

The operational costs for the Kahului Baseyard would be reduced, too, through sustainable design concepts incorporated as part of the proposed project.

The Kahului Baseyard would retain all of the functions that currently occur at the transportation operations baseyard.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.