State demands cleanup of debris from collapsing home on Oahu’s North Shore
The state of Hawaii is taking legal action against the owner of a home on Oahu’s North Shore, which is slowly crumbling into the ocean. As the house falls apart, debris, including glass, metal, and wood, is scattered across the sand and pulled into the water by the waves, damaging the environment. Hawaii authorities are seeking to hold the homeowner accountable for the mess left on the state-owned beach and are demanding a cleanup, SF Gate reports.
Beachfront property crumbles into the ocean
The house in question is located on Ke Nui Road near Sunset Beach, an area increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels. A video of the collapsing house has gone viral on social media, capturing the moment a bystander warns others, “Be careful where you’re standing. The whole roof is gonna come down right now.”
As the house continues to break apart, the beach is being littered with cement, glass, wood, and other materials. The waves have also dragged debris into the ocean, worsening the environmental damage.
State files lawsuit against homeowner
Hawaii’s state government filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the homeowner of failing to address the collapse and contributing to the environmental degradation of the beach. The lawsuit seeks damages for the debris left on the state-owned beach, which stretches up to the high-tide mark.
“On September 24, 2024, large pieces of cement, wood, glass, electrical components, rebar, geotextile fabric, and other unidentified solid materials covered the State land spanning between the property boundary line and the ocean,” the lawsuit reads. The state further alleges that some of the debris was carried into the ocean by natural processes.
Legal action to restore the public beach
Hawaii is seeking an injunction to compel the homeowner to remove the debris and restore the beach to its natural condition for public use. “Private landowners take a risk when they allow structures to be so close to the shoreline,” Deputy Attorney General Danica Swenson told Hawaii News Now.
The state’s lawsuit highlights that the homeowner had previously been cited for installing unauthorized erosion control measures on the beach. Despite warnings, no action was taken to prevent the eventual collapse of the house, leading to the current situation.
The homeowner has not publicly commented on the legal action. As the case moves forward, environmental concerns continue to mount, with residents and officials calling for swift action to protect the delicate shoreline from further damage.