Reappointment of LUC Commissioners; Environmental Council Member Resigns Under Protest

New Appointments. The Governor recently reappointed Commissioners Thomas Contrades and Nicholas Teves to the State Land Use Commission, for terms to expire on June 30, 2013. The Senate must confirm their appointments which is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate WTL Committee on April 15, 2009, at 2:45 p.m. in state capitol conference room 229. See GM596 and GM597.

Resignations. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Robert A. King, Chair of the state’s Environmental Council, resigned from the Council "claiming the Lingle administration is not interested in the council’s recommendations." His term was set to expire in 2012.

According to the Senate Committee Report from his 2008 confirmation hearing, Mr. King is the President of Pacific Biodiesel and oversees operations in Hawaii, Oregon, and Texas, as well as construction in the United States and Asia. He is also a founding member of the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance and the Hawaii Ag Alliance.

Mr. King was the Chair of the Council on February 22, 2007, when the Environmental Council ruled that the State Department of Transportation had erred in granting an exemption for harbor improvements from an environmental review. See Performance Audit on the State Administration’s Actions Exempting Certain Harbor Improvements To Facilitate Large Capacity Ferry Vessels From the Requirements of the Hawai‘i Environmental Impact Statements Law: Phase I, Auditor State of Hawaii, Report No. 08-09, p. 13, April 2008.