HI HR150

Requests the Department of the Attorney General to investigate the February 20, 2023 grounding of the yacht "Nakoa" at Honolua Bay and pursue all applicable civil claims and criminal charges against the vessel's owner and operators Jim Jones and Noelani Yacht Charters, LLC.

The 94-foot luxury yacht ran aground on a reef outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District after a mooring line snapped while the vessel was illegally attached overnight to a day-use-only mooring with a two-hour time limit.

Fuel leaked from the vessel into the ocean on February 21, 2023, requiring the Coast Guard to open the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and triggering extensive cleanup efforts including containment booms, absorbent materials, and diesel fuel pumping.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources spent approximately $460,000 to remove the Nakoa from Honolua Bay, not including administrative and staffing costs, and is investigating potential violations of boating laws and environmental damage to coral reefs.

Resolution requires certified copies to be transmitted to the Attorney General, Board of Land and Natural Resources, Maui County Council, and Save Honolua Coalition.