Back to Hawaii News index

Posted: Thursday, December 7th, 2006 9:06 AM HST

U.S. Senate rejects earthquake repair money

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ The U-S Senate has cut 19 (m) million dollars in proposed earthquake assistance for Hawaii. That has left the state scrambling to find other sources of federal money to assist agricultural water systems on the Big Island that are still recovering from the October 15th earthquakes. Major General Robert Lee, the state's director of Civil Defense, says Hawaii is nowhere close to declaring an end to the disaster period. Senator Daniel Inouye's office says the earthquake assistance money would have helped repair the Lower Hamakua Ditch, the Waimea Irrigation System and the Upper Hamakua Ditch on the Big Island. Inouye blames majority Republicans for cutting the earthquake relief money after the White House issued a veto threat. He says the matter will be addressed again next year when Democrats assume control of Congress. (Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved)