Washington, D.C. - Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved four Hawaii project requests that total $1,625,000. The Akaka projects now advance to the Senate floor.

The projects include: $300,000 for Preconstruction Engineering and Design investigations for the Laupahoehoe Harbor on the Big Island; $200,000 for the restoration of the Waialua-Kaiaka Watershed in Central Oahu; and $125,000 for the Nawiliwili Deep Draft Harbor project in Kauai.

"The two harbor projects are critical for enhancing their usage and assisting in economic development in the surrounding communities of the Big Island and Kauai," stated Senator Akaka.

"I am particularly pleased for the funding approved for the restoration of the Waialua-Kaiaka Watershed because multiple communities in and around Wahiawa will benefit. Wise stewardship and management at a watershed level has a significant impact on the health and quality of numerous natural resources."

The Appropriations Committee also approved $1 million to upgrade electrical and emergency generator infrastructure at Hawaii’s major trauma centers.

"Hurricane Katrina demonstrated how detrimental it can be for major medical centers to lose power," said Senator Akaka. "If New Orleans hospital generators had not flooded, the hospitals could have continued to serve the public. Hawaii could see a far greater loss of life if a major hospital ceases to function during a disaster because patients may not be able to seek care anywhere else. This funding would enable the proper upgrades to ensure uninterrupted medical service during natural or man-made disasters."