Current:Home > MyHawaii’s governor releases details of $175M fund to compensate Maui wildfire victims-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Hawaii’s governor releases details of $175M fund to compensate Maui wildfire victims
View Date:2024-12-23 15:57:03
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Tuesday that a $175 million fund to compensate families of people killed in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century will begin accepting applications at the end of the week.
The fund for Maui wildfire victims will also pay those who were hospitalized with severe injuries.
Families of those killed would receive $1.5 million after their eligibility is confirmed by a retired Hawaii judge. Those seriously injured would receive a share determined by the judge. Maui County has confirmed the deaths of 101 people from the Aug. 8 wildfire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina. Two people are still missing.
Green framed the fund as an option for survivors considering suing the state of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric or other utilities and landowners for their role in the blaze.
People who accept the fund’s money will waive their right to sue the entities who contributed to the fund. Hawaiian Electric is the single largest underwriter at $75 million, followed by the state of Hawaii at $65 million, landowner Kamehameha Schools at $17.5 million and Maui County at $10 million.
Green said those who sue could potentially wait three, four or five years before they receive money and incur significant legal costs.
“This recovery fund amounts to an offer and it’s really up to people if they choose to take this offer,” Green said at an announcement and news conference.
Multiple lawsuits have already been filed on behalf of wildfire victims against the state, the county, utilities and landlords.
Hawaii lawmakers haven’t appropriated the $65 million needed for the state’s share. Green said he expects they will do so after seeing this is the “compassionate” approach and that it’s a way for the state to avoid expensive and lengthy litigation.
But even if they don’t, Green said his emergency proclamation for the wildfire gives him powers to put forward the state’s share.
Ronald Ibarra, a retired state judge who was formerly chief judge of the Third Circuit Court in Hilo, will evaluate claims as the fund’s administrator.
“It’s important to have someone that is local who really understands the people of our state - also the people of a rural community,” Green said.
Ibarra said $25 million of the fund would be reserved for the seriously injured. He said up to $10 million more would be made available for the injured if there’s money remaining after families of those killed have been compensated.
Green said if there’s money left over after all claims have been paid, the balance will be returned to the funders in proportion to the amount they donated. The governor said it’s unlikely that all survivors will file claims.
“I would be very surprised if 100% of people took this offer because some people will find that it’s better to litigate. That is absolutely okay,” he said.
The fund is named “One Ohana” after the Hawaiian word for family. It begins accepting applications on March 1.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Inter Miami's MLS playoff failure sets stage for Messi's last act, Alexi Lalas says
- Hundreds of Toxic Superfund Sites Imperiled by Sea-Level Rise, Study Warns
- The Real Story Behind Khloe Kardashian and Michele Morrone’s Fashion Show Date
- Every Time We Applauded North West's Sass
- John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. What that says about us.
- Tree Deaths in Urban Settings Are Linked to Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines Below Streets
- Tamra Judge Wore This Viral Lululemon Belt Bag on Real Housewives of Orange County
- As Rooftop Solar Grows, What Should the Future of Net Metering Look Like?
- Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
- Chicago officers under investigation over sexual misconduct allegations involving migrants living at police station
Ranking
- How Leonardo DiCaprio Celebrated His 50th Birthday
- Harris and Ocasio-Cortez Team up on a Climate ‘Equity’ Bill, Leaving Activists Hoping for Unity
- Britain is seeing a wave of strikes as nurses, postal workers and others walk out
- Renewable Energy’s Booming, But Still Falling Far Short of Climate Goals
- Outgoing North Carolina governor grants 2 pardons, 6 commutations
- Who created chicken tikka masala? The death of a curry king is reviving a debate
- New Twitter alternative, Threads, could eclipse rivals like Mastodon and Blue Sky
- Starbucks workers plan a 3-day walkout at 100 U.S. stores in a unionization effort
Recommendation
-
Rōki Sasaki is coming to MLB: Dodgers the favorite to sign Japanese ace for cheap?
-
Kelly Clarkson Shares How Her Ego Affected Brandon Blackstock Divorce
-
Everything to Know About the Vampire Breast Lift, the Sister Treatment to the Vampire Facial
-
Chevron’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Tweet Prompts a Debate About Big Oil and Environmental Justice
-
Full House's John Stamos Shares Message to Costar Dave Coulier Amid Cancer Battle
-
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance With 21-Year-Old Daughter Ella
-
Sam Bankman-Fried to be released on $250 million bail into parents' custody
-
Cities Pressure TVA to Boost Renewable Energy as Memphis Weighs Breaking Away