Crews conduct pollution mitigation and waterway clearing operations at the Lahaina Harbor on Friday. U.S. Coast Guard / Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward Wargo photos

The Maui News

Crews have begun removing pollution and hazardous materials from Lahaina Harbor after the Aug. 8 wildfire that left behind multiple sunken and damaged boats.

State and federal agencies and contractor Global Diving and Salvage have removed more than 2,100 gallons of product from vessels in the vicinity of the harbor as part of Phase 1 of operations, according to news release from the U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday. The contracted workers surveyed the harbor and are continually refining a plan to remove the hazardous materials and submerged vessels, the Coast Guard said.

The vessels, when removed, will be relocated to a nearby parking lot designated as a temporary staging area. Operators will be informed via the Harbor Coordination Group when their vessel is removed to coordinate retrieval.

The Coast Guard, state Department of Health and state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation have joined forces as part of the Coast Guard Western Maui Wildfire Emergency Support Function No. 10 Unified Command, which is addressing the cleanup of Lahaina waterways after the fire.

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Melanie Burnham updates Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator James Barros on the operations at Lahaina Harbor on Saturday. U.S. Coast Guard / Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward Wargo photos

The Unified Command’s operations cover several steps, including:

• Phase 0, which consists of searching for sunken, derelict or displaced vessels, along with marine debris, and contacting vessel owners.

• Phase 1, which involves equipment staging, safety and pollution assessments and consultation with government agencies, as well as putting cultural and archaeological monitors in place to advise on all phases.

• Phase 2, which calls for pollution mitigation and recovery, as well as removal of vessels and debris. The Unified Command will work with local authorities to allow access to impacted vessels for owners, operators, assessors and other stakeholders.

• Phase 3, which is the final stage of vessel pollution mitigation and removal operations.

Some phases may take place at the same time. Specific timelines cannot be provided at this time “due to the dynamic nature of the response,” the Coast Guard said.

Vessel owners and operators with questions can contact the Harbor Coordination Group created by the Unified Command at D14-DG-SH-SecHono-MTSRU@uscg.mil.