Associate Justice Michael Wilson and Second Circuit Chief Judge Joseph Cardoza reflected on the great strides made by the Second Circuit’s Environmental Court at a ceremony recognizing the fourth year of operation. Also providing remarks were Hawaii Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran and Marti Townsend, executive director of the Sierra Club-Hawaii.

Master of ceremonies Lance Collins introduced the speakers and read messages from each of five song writers who wrote songs about various environmental court cases. The songs were performed by Kamalei Kawa’a of the group Na Wai ‘Eha at the June 19, 2019 event.

Hawaii’s Environmental Courts were established by Act 218, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, enacted as Hawaii Revised Statues Chapter 604A “Environmental Courts” and began their work in 2015. The courts have broad jurisdiction, covering water, forests, streams, beaches, air, and mountains, along with terrestrial and marine life.

Hawaii is only the second U.S. state to have a statewide environmental court. In 1990, Vermont founded the nation’s first statewide environmental court.

For more on the event, read the Maui News story “Environmental Court celebrates four years“.