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Pacific Ocean Division News

  • August

    A debris crew works to remove debris from the last multi-unit residential property, The Spinnaker condominiums, in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' debris removal program, August 26, 2024. The completion of all residential debris removal in Lahaina is expected in the coming weeks, just over a year after the August 2023 wildfires destroyed more than 2,200 structures. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Susan Lee)

    USACE Clearing Debris from Final Residential Properties in Lahaina

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in partnership with federal, state, and local partners, is pleased to announce that debris removal on the last single- and multi-unit residential properties in Lahaina is underway. This milestone marks a significant achievement in the Personal Property Debris Removal Program, as all residential properties will be cleared months ahead of the original January 2025 deadline—a testament to the dedication and efficiency of the teams involved.
  • A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor removes debris from a residence in Lahaina, Hawai‘i, Feb. 1. USACE is overseeing the debris removal mission under a Federal Emergency Management Agency mission assignment, which is part of a coordinated effort with the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, Maui County and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up areas of the island affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. (Photo by Erin Jimenez)

    Mission Maui: How USACE Engineered Lahaina's Remarkable Debris Cleanup

    The August 8, 2023 wildfires didn’t just raze Lahaina’s homes and landscapes; they left an indelible scar on the hearts of its people. Fire ash and debris posed an immediate and grave threat, endangering lives, the environment, and the cultural fabric of this historic place. In this solemn hour, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stepped in with a mission that extended beyond debris removal—it was about safeguarding a community’s future and honoring the spirit of a resilient people.
  • Local cultural leader Kumu Pueo Pat performs an opening chant during a ground blessing ceremony at Wahikuli Park on Aug. 9. The ceremony marked preparations for the installation of a critical sewer line at the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing site in Lahaina. This project represents a significant milestone in the recovery process, transitioning the community from cesspools to a more sanitary, environmentally conscious public sewer system.

    Officials gather for Kilohana Sewer Main Ground Blessing in Lahaina

    Lahaina, Hawaii – Today, Governor Josh Green, M.D., Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Recovery Field Office Commander Col. Eric Swenson convened at Wahikuli Park for a ground blessing ceremony, marking the start of a critical sewer line installation at the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing site in Lahaina. This project part of the utility preparation for Kilohana, which will provide longer-term housing for survivors of the August 2023 Maui wildfires.

  • July

    Maintenance dredging began July 22, 2024 at the Honolulu Harbor, located on the southern coast of the island of O‘ahu, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District. Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. is the contractor.

    Maintenance Dredging Underway at Honolulu Harbor

    Maintenance dredging is currently underway at the Honolulu Harbor, located on the southern coast of the island of O‘ahu, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District. This is the third maintenance dredging project that the Corps has undertaken this year in Hawai‘i.
  • Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff, incoming District Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District, symbolically assumes command after receiving the unit colors from Brig. Gen. Joseph C. “Clete” Goetz II, Commanding General for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division in a July 10 ceremony aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial.

    Honolulu District welcomes 74th commander

    Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff became the 74th commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District, during a change of command ceremony July 10, at the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

  • Honolulu District Earns Prestigious Army Safety Award

    The Honolulu District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, received the prestigious Army Safety and Occupational Health Star Award here June 28, 2024, recognizing the district’s successful implementation of the Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupation Health Management System. Lt. Gen. James B. Jarrard, Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Army Pacific, presided over the ceremony at the historic Palm Circle, where Lt. Col. Christopher “Ryan” Pevey, Honolulu District commander, received the SOH Star flag from Troy Larson, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Manager.

  • June

    Pacific Ocean Division's Change of Command June 13, 2024

    BG Goetz assumes command of USACE Pacific Ocean Division, bids aloha to BG Gibbs

    Brig. Gen. Joseph C. “Clete” Goetz II became the 35th commanding general and division engineer of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pacific Ocean Division (POD) in a June 13 ceremony at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii.
  • USACE celebrates start of Kenai coastal erosion project

    USACE celebrates start of Kenai coastal erosion project

    Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District participated in a ceremony to recognize the start of construction for the Kenai River Bluffs Erosion Project. Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, gathered alongside several stakeholders and political officials at the Kenai Senior Citizens Center and delivered remarks about the project’s significance. In attendance was Sen. Lisa Murkowski and representatives from the office of Sen. Dan Sullivan; Brian Gabriel, mayor of the City of Kenai; and Peter Micciche, mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

  • January

    Delegates from the Mekong River Commission and leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division receive a briefing at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, Aug. 15, 2023.

    US Engineers, Scientists Continue Work with Mekong Partners on Water Security

    FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii (January 18, 2024) — As climate change casts a growing shadow on water resources globally, the annual Sister Rivers Exchange, taking place Jan. 22 to 26 in Thailand and Vietnam, brings together leading experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from the Mekong region and the United States to collaborate on solutions to increasing
  • A man in a red shirt sitting at a computer.

    A Christmas Story – kind of…

    MAUI, Hawaii – When a fire burns hot enough to melt engine blocks and granite countertops, it is at least 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Everything it touches at that point is compromised. So, when it’s time to clean up a destroyed house or structure, everything must be removed since the debris can contain lead, asbestos and other toxic particles. That can be a challenging reality for wildfire survivors when they must decide what to do about their property.