An Ewa Beach resident is taking on city hall and a local developer.
Craig Smallwood has filed a lawsuit against the city and Haseko Development claiming major projects in the Ewa Plains are moving forward without a valid environmental impact statement.

Smallwood wants the courts to suspend several projects including improvements on fort weaver road and construction of the north-south road and the West Oahu campus.

Craig Smallwood points to the source of his concerns, the Kaloi Gulch Drainage Way -- a regional drainage project for the Ewa Plains.

"When it storms the storm waste water is being channeled by elevating all the land around it into this gulch and it's going to run directly into ocean, " said Smallwood who claims an environmental impact statement done by Haseko is invalid. He adds despite the city's knowledge of this, it continues to issue permits for projects in the area.

"There is not a single environmental impact statement to state what problems there may be -- and what mitigation factors need to be taken care of," said Smallwood.

Haseko disagrees and responded to the suit saying: "Haseko believes we have all the necessary permits and environmental documents required by law. It is unfortunate that Mr. Smallwood is trying to get extractions from the company to personally benefit himself by filing these lawsuits."
The city says it has ensured compliance with all environmental and permitting laws.

A hearing is scheduled for October 31st, that's when Smallwood will ask a judge to cease all grading projects in the area until an EIS is complete, including the planned West Oahu Campus, the north-south road and improvements on Fort Weaver Road.

"All of these projects are built with grade changes to channel the water into this gulch and without knowing where this gulch is going to come out and what damage its going to do, it's a bad idea,"

Smallwood understands a ruling in his favor will affect his neighbors.

"We're looking at necessary arteries for people to get out of this place -- I deal with the traffic everyday -- I don't want to delay that," says Smallwood. "I'm sorry if that's what happens but my intent is to protect this beach and protect people lives."

He says sitting back is not an option.

"I truly believe it's going to to cost a loss of life --it's going to cause people to get sick -- it's going to kill this ocean.