KAHULUI, Maui — Edward Reinhardt, president of Maui Electric Co., apologized to a local family and to the community for the actions of contractors who desecrated a family heiau in Ukumehame last week.

Reinhardt said Thursday that he was shocked and ashamed over the actions of Par Contracting workers, who the Kahaiali'i family said littered, defecated and parked vehicles on the family's Ukumehame heiau.

"We know this behavior is very offensive not only to the Kahaiali'i family but to all of us in Hawai'i," Reinhardt said.

He offered the company's "sincerest apologizes" and issued a public apology in a paid advertisement yesterday in The Maui News.

"It's a real problem for us, and we didn't take it lightly," Reinhardt said.

A Kahaiali'i family member would not comment on the situation Thursday.

Reinhardt said MECO has met with family members and will continue to meet with them. "We will work with them to do what is culturally responsible," he said.

The litter and other waste on the heiau was cleared by the contractors, who have completed their work and are no longer working for MECO, Reinhardt said.

MECO said it has taken immediate steps to make sure this does not happen again.

Crews have been alerted about the situation, and there will now be cultural sensitivity courses for their contractors and employees, Reinhardt said.

He said he wasn't making excuses about the incident but he believed that the contract workers, who were from the Mainland, didn't know about the sensitivity of the area.

Reinhardt said the incident occurred Oct. 20, as about four Par Contracting workers completed line maintenance work for MECO in Ukumehame.

He said members of the Kahaiali'i family went to the heiau to do some documentation when they saw litter, human waste and work vehicles parked on the heiau.

The family said there was an orange snow fence up around the site. But the contractors told MECO that the fence was down, Reinhardt said.

Reinhardt said he hasn't visited the site but said the area is flat, with rock croppings around it.

He said he was told there was no rock damage.

Reinhardt said MECO has an easement for its lines in Ukumehame. He said the road to the easement is near the Kahaiali'i heiau.

This was the first time MECO has used Par Contracting, although Hawaiian Electric Co. on O'ahu and Hawaiian Electric Light Co. on the Big Island have used the business for years, Reinhardt said.

Reinhardt said other electric companies in the state have been notified of the incident.

He said MECO may use Par again because it specializes in electrical work.

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