Kennedy Visits Aftermath of Lahaina Wildfire, Sees First-Hand Worst Example of Government Inefficiency, Corruption

Statement

"I visited Lahaina last month and saw the tragic reality up close: the Maui wildfire's cascading environmental impacts and toxic aftermath will likely last for years. Hazardous debris, chemicals, and undrinkable water plagues the town. The government's mismanagement of the poisonous material cleanup is wreaking havoc on Lahaina's residents, farmland, and groundwater, and risks poisoning the local reef. This unprecedented disaster has diminished everybody in our country because Lahaina was such a jewel. I used to come to this town and it was such a magical spot in the world. It was unique -- the roots, the history, and the culture of these extraordinary islands and extraordinary people. It was all taken away because of mismanagement, and because of corporate control of the landscapes by the big agricultural industry that rerouted the water and dried up this lush, verdant area.That original merger of state and corporate power and the injury that came from it is now being compounded by the response, which is short-sighted and money-driven. They are going to take the waste and they are going to do something with it that is going to ensure the poisoning of the reef. It's just the worst example of government inefficiency and ultimately corruption."

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