The devastating wildfires of August 2023 have left Maui with a tremendous amount of obstacles which pose a myriad of unique challenges in identifying and implementing realistic techniques for public health and environmental mitigations. 

Local and federal agencies must now contend with 400,000 tons of highly toxic fire debris. Considering the challenges presented when this applies to a tiny island and one of the most remote and isolated communities on the planet, disposal of this debris is an extremely complex issue to resolve. Fortunately, Maui community has been extremely diligent in independent disaster response and cleanup efforts, with an overwhelming number of volunteer entities participating in community oversight and independent environmental monitoring. 

Through this tireless volunteer effort, independent ash and soil analysis has determined that over 90% of these dangerous toxins exist solely within the ash, with minimal remaining toxins existing within the rest of the fire debris. 

Therefore, we have now been able to identify a realistic way to simplify this mitigation effort, and have established the specific area of priority focus within cleanup operations—the separation and safer containment of JUST the highly toxic ash. 

Maui SOS is dedicated to raising awareness and providing education and resources to address this issue, along with integrating public input in an attempt to collectively develop an acceptable solution to the proper implementation of the separation and safe containment of this highly toxic ash during cleanup and debris removal operations. Focusing on achieving this specific resolution will effectively minimize the toxicity of the remaining debris that will need to be disposed of at Olowalu Temporary Disposition Site and eventually the Permanent Disposition Site at Central Maui Landfill by over 90%, and result in a successful public health and environmental mitigation approach that will serve enormous long term damage-control benefits to all of Maui community.