(BIVN) – A new Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) has been published in The Environmental Notice, supporting a proposal to reclassify lands at the Leilani Quarry, in order to continue and expand mining at the Puna location.

The Applicant, Sanford’s Service Center – in coordination with the property owner, Kamehameha Schools – is seeking a State Land Use District Boundary Amendment (DBA) to reclassify 94-acres at Kauea from the State Conservation District to the State Agricultural District. Sanford’s produces a low-density, black cinder at the quarry.

This is the second EISPN prepared for the project. The first EISPN was published in July  2019, however a Draft Environmental Impact Statement was never published. A notice of withdrawal of the 2019 EISPN was also published in The Environmental Notice.

From the “Purpose and Need” section of the EISPN:

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to allow the Applicants’ existing cinder mining and quarry activities to be expanded within the Petition Area by reclassifying the Petition Area from the State Land Use Conservation District to the Agricultural District consistent with the County of Hawaii’s Agricultural Zoning designation (A-20a) and the County of Hawaiʻi’s anticipated update to the General Plan to redesignate the Petition Area from Conservation to Productive Agricultural. The Proposed Action would allow the expansion of mining and quarrying activities by Sanford’s Service Center with the approval of a Special Permit from the LUC over a 73.075-acre portion of the Petition Area (the remaining 21.033-acre portion of the Petition Area will be buffer areas).

Location map from the January 8th Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (key location overlay altered by BIVN for news story display purposes)

Mining and quarrying uses are only a permitted activity in the Resource Subzone (R) of the Conservation District per the 2011 amendment to Title 13-15, HAR Conservation District. Thus, since 2011, mining and quarrying activities at Sanford’s Service Center, (currently Limited subzone) have been a legal nonconforming use. Without the State Land Use DBA and subsequent Special Permit from the LUC, Sanford’s Service Center’s mining and quarrying activities would be restricted to the existing 30-acre area.

The black cinder produced at Sanford Service Center is essential to the horticultural and nursery industry, a major industry in the State of Hawaiʻi. In 2018, the Lower East Rift Zone eruption immediately disrupted black cinder production, thereby jeopardizing the horticultural and nursery industry. In response, the Office of the Governor issued an emergency proclamation to support disaster response victims and protect the economy of East Hawaiʻi. Local government, in conjunction with the Hawaiʻi Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA), began an emergency effort to identify alternative sources of black cinder (DLNR 2018). Following this emergency response, Act 191 was signed into law in July 2021, which called for the use of State funds and efforts for the purpose of identifying alternative black cinder sources. The status of the black cinder site survey is presented in a 2021 DLNR report, detailing the allocation of additional funds and further surveys to identify new black cinder quarry sites (DLNR, 2021).

Given the State’s recognition of the importance of black cinder, the continued operation of Sanford’s Service Center may be viewed as critical for the stability of the local horticulture and nursery industries. The black cinder produced at the Leilani quarry is a vital input and resource for many local businesses including anthuriums and orchids. Without the ability to expand mining and quarrying activities within the Petition Area, Sanford’s Service Center faces a serious threat to its long-term viability and its ability to support other major local industries.

An administrative 30-day public review and comment period for the new EISPN is now underway, with comments due by February 7, 2025. Comments can be sent to the consultant, Group 70 International Inc, at the email address: LeilaniQuarryProject@g70.design.

A virtual public scoping meeting will also be held on January 20, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Project reps say participants must request a meeting link via email to LeilaniQuarryProject@g70.design.