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Tag: GEORGE F. LEE

  • McKenna to lead Hawaii’s Judiciary as its acting chief

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    GEORGE F. LEE / DEC. 10 Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina S.McKenna makes an appearance in the Mililani High School gym in December to hear the case of Blosson Bell v. Hawaii Public Housing Authority. McKenna will begin serving as acting chief justice Oct. 1, following the retirement of Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald at the end of September.

    GEORGE F. LEE / DEC. 10 Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina S.McKenna makes an appearance in the Mililani High School gym in December to hear the case of Blosson Bell v. Hawaii Public Housing Authority. McKenna will begin serving as acting chief justice Oct. 1, following the retirement of Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald at the end of September.

    Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina McKenna will begin serving as acting chief justice Wednesday, following the retirement of Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald at the end of September, the state Judiciary announced Thursday.

    “On behalf of all judiciary employees, the bar, and the entire State of Hawaii, I express our deepest appreciation to Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald for his Aloha Spirit-imbued leadership over the past 15 years, as well as his commitment to Access to Justice and the Rule of Law, ” McKenna said in a news release.

    Recktenwald leaves the Supreme Court due to the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices and judges.

    The Judical Selection Commission must now provide a list of four to six nominees to replace the chief justice. Gov. Josh Green will then select one of the nominees, who must be confirmed by the state Senate.

    However, there are not enough nominees from which the governor can make a selection at this time.

    McKenna is the longest-serving active jurist in the Judiciary, having also served in the district, circuit and family courts in the Oahu Circuit, including as senior family court judge, according to the release. She has served on the Hawaii Supreme Court since 2011.

    “Justice McKenna is uniquely qualified to lead the Judiciary at this pivotal time, ” Recktenwald said. “She has served with distinction at nearly every level of our courts, and her deep experience and unwavering commitment to justice will guide us forward. I am excited she will have the opportunity to use that vast knowledge to lead the Judiciary.”

    The Judiciary also announced the departure of Administrative Director of the Courts Rod Maile.

    Brandon Kimura, who served as deputy administrative director of the courts, will succeed him Wednesday. Daylin-Rose Heather will serve as deputy.

    McKenna thanked Maile for his dedicated leadership as administative director.

    “I am extremely humbled and honored to be able to guide the Judiciary from October 1st until the next chief justice is sworn in, alongside Brandon, Daylin, and all our incredible and hard-working judges, administrators and employees, ” she said.

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  • Two Navy employees indicted for lying about size of Red Hill fuel spill

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    GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The tunnels of the the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility in 2023.

    GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM The tunnels of the the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility in 2023.

    Two civilian U.S. Navy executives were indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for lying to the Hawaii Department of Health about the size of the May 6, 2021.

    John Floyd, 63, of Mililani, who worked as Fuels Department Deputy Director for the Navy, and Nelson Wu, 38, of Waipahu who was Fuels Department Supervisory Engineer were indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday. Wu reported directly to Floyd.

    into the fuel spill have been ongoing since at least 2022.

    Floyd and Wu are charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and causing another person to make a materially false statement or a material omission in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

    The pair are summoned for an an arraignment on Sep. 5 at 10 :30 before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield and are not in federal custody.

    Between May 6, 2021 and Oct. 1, 2021, Floyd and Wu worked int heir roles for the Navy Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor, which included the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

    After 20, 000 gallons of on May 6, 2021 following the failing of two pipeline couplings, the Hawaii Department of Health issued a formal request for answers as part of their authorized role as a regulator of the facility.

    On Oct.1, 2021, the Navy responded to the state’s request for information and “Floyd and Wu participated in drafting the response to the RFI (request for information ) for review by Navy officers and transmission to the (state ).”

    The Fuels Department was the main source of information for the response.

    “When questioned about the accuracy of the May 6, 2021 spill volume data by multiple Navy officers involved in approving the response to the RFI, Floyd and Wu reiterated that only an estimated 1, 618 gallons had spilled into the tunnel and that the remainder of the jet fuel put into the JP-5 pipeline during the attempted transfer from Tank 12 had remained in the pipeline, ” according to the indictment.

    The water contamination included a Nov. 20, 2021 spill of 20, 000 gallons and affected roughly 93, 000 people, mainly military families. For months the state Department of Health issued an advisory that the water was unsafe to drink.

    Thousands of families relocated to hotel rooms or moved out of their housing as the Navy and regulators worked to make the water safe to drink. The all-clear was declared in March 2022, about four months after the jet fuel contamination was found.

    In March 2022, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the department would permanently shut down the Red Hill facility following the disaster. The decision came amid withering pressure from state officials, the Hawaii congressional delegation, protests and extensive community opposition to keeping the under ­-ground, World War II-era fuel facility in operation.

    If convicted, Floyd and Wu face up to five years’ in federal prison and a fine up to $250, 000 on each charge.

    This case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Inspector General.

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