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10.31.24

Activist Spotlight: Maureen Brock of the Maui Chapter

Q: What is your current role with the Surfrider Foundation and why did you get involved?
I am the Chair of the Surfrider Maui Chapter. I’ve been part of beach cleanups for years and attended many Surfrider events – some of my favorite art has come from Surfrider silent auctions!

Maureen Brock With the Maui Chapter on the beach

Q: What are some environmental issues that are affecting your local community?
The devastating fires of August 9, 2023 on Maui caused a reset of priorities for thousands of people. We have urgent needs that take top priority, but we also have less pressing needs that shouldn’t be forgotten.

People turn to Surfrider for advice – are the ocean waters safe for recreation near the fire zone? Understanding the condition of the ocean alongside Lahaina has been a focus of the Maui Chapter almost immediately after the fire.  

Surfrider participates in the multidisciplinary Maui All Hands Environmental Response meetings;  attendees include federal, state, and county agencies, university researchers, and other non-profit organizations. The purpose of convening is to share, collaborate, assist one another, and ground efforts within the local community so that we approach the environmental response to the Lahaina fire in a coordinated, efficient, and open manner. Participating in these meetings identified a gap in testing; the Surfrider Fire Response Coordinator and Maui BWTF are working together with an environmental testing lab for quarterly heavy metal and PAH analysis of ocean water near the burn zone. 

I love being part of the “Water Hui”; hui is the Hawaiian word for 'team.' It gives me a chance to geek out (I have a Ph.D. in chemistry), expand my network of people and organizations that care about Maui and the environment and gives me an opportunity to inspire my neighbors in Lahaina to become citizen scientists and activists. 

Pre-fire, the Lahaina Injection Wells/Clean Water Act Permit was top of mind for me.  In a major victory for ocean advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the Clean Water Act can regulate discharges to the nation’s waters via groundwater.

To sum it up, the Lahaina wastewater plant sends water rich in nitrogen and phosphorus directly into the coral reef off Kahekili Beach Park, “Old Airport.” This causes algal blooms and kills the coral. Following a 10-year battle in the Supreme Court, the County of Maui had filed for their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and we were in the last week of public comment. 

I believe that Maui has a great opportunity to rebuild Lahaina’s infrastructure better than pre-fire, including treating the wastewater to remove nutrients and maximize opportunities for water reuse. Reengaging the public to insist shortcomings of the current plan be resolved is one of my key goals.

Maureen Brock With the Maui Chapter With Gunars Valkirs Founder of Kuia Estate Chocolate
Maureen Brock with Gunars Valkirs, Founder of Kuia Estate Chocolate

Q: What Surfrider projects have you worked on?
This was my first year participating in Hill Day. Changing behavior through legislation is extremely impactful. During my lifetime, I’ve watched three Pacific Ocean species rebound from the brink of extinction through conservation laws.  

Fifty years ago, it was very rare to see brown pelicans in Southern California. DDT in the ecosystem causes the shells of the pelican eggs to be so thin that the nest success rate was very low. Since the U.S. banned DDT in 1972, the population recovered and the brown pelican was taken off the endangered species list in 2009. Every time I see a squadron of brown pelicans, I remember how close we were to losing them. The same is true for green sea turtles and whales, our neighbors in the ocean.

Q: What is the most important thing you tell others about Surfrider?
Climate change impacts everyone; despite the fact that the task is daunting, working together we can improve the situation here on Earth. I’ve seen conservation efforts work successfully, many times in my life.
 
Q: Why is being a part of the Surfrider ocean conservation community important to you?
Living on an island helps you realize that every location on land is part of our watershed and ends up in the ocean.
 
Q: Anything else? 
The most unique place I’ve snorkeled is in the Silfra Fissure, Iceland. You swim between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The water is only one degree above freezing and very clear. If you get water in your snorkel and swallow it, it's clean, delicious, and ice cold.

Maureen Brock With the Maui Chapter at Surfrider's 40th anniversary national summit