When Heidi Jaworksi moved to the Big Island in 2005, she noticed many yards covered with mangled cars, SUVs and other abandoned vehicles, especially in her sprawling southwestern community. She has been keeping track of the addresses and filing complaints with the police ever since.
Derelict vehicles are one of the Big Island’s most intractable environmental issues and safety concerns with 1,600 vehicles dumped every year – almost a quarter of the 8,000 vehicles left statewide. The wrecks are an eyesore as well as a potential chemical hazard since they can leak toxic materials into the water table. They’re also common breeding grounds for vermin and mosquitoes.
Efforts to clean up the longstanding problem — including a rash of state laws in 2022 — have barely made a dent as people find it cheaper and easier to walk away from derelict vehicles rather than go through the official process of surrendering them. Meanwhile some property owners find it profitable to sell parts from the hulking wrecks…