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COUNTY OF HAWAI`I STATE OF IIAWAI`I <br /> ' 4rF os•µ.'.. <br /> RESOLUTION NO. 443 24 <br /> A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT <br /> WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR A WATER QUALITY <br /> STUDY OF THE LOWER PUNA REGION. <br /> WHEREAS, the Planning Department wishes to enter into an agreement with the United <br /> States Geological Survey ("USGS"); and <br /> WHEREAS, the agreement is to provide $428,000 to the USGS for the purpose of <br /> conducting a study of groundwater samples from the Lower Puna region; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Geothermal Public Health Assessment, issued in September 2013, <br /> recommended robust, scientific study of the effects of geothermal energy production on drinking <br /> water and the near-ocean environment, and further recommended that the USGS undertake such <br /> work; and <br /> WHEREAS, subsequent testing by the USGS in 2015 and 2020 of samples from deep <br /> geothermal wells,public-supply wells, and coastal springs did not provide sufficient evidence to <br /> unequivocally indicate adverse effects from geothermal energy production and related activities; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, further and continuous monitoring and sampling of groundwater is <br /> necessary to facilitate fact-based and proactive stewardship of Hawai`i Island's precious water <br /> resources,to address ongoing environmental and health concerns or uncertainties related to <br /> geothermal energy production, to enable meaningful comparisons of relevant data across various <br /> timespans and locations, and to build upon the existing record of publicly accessible scientific <br /> information on this topic; and <br /> WHEREAS, the proposed study involves two field collections from six to eight sites in <br /> Lower Puna, with a six-month interval between collections, laboratory testing of water samples, <br /> and subsequent analysis of results; and <br />