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determine if there were health effects from geothermal development. We reviewed many studies
<br />and examined decades of geothermal development records.
<br />
<br />Because of this effort, we recommended a study to examine the health effects, particularly in
<br />lower Puna. You recently approved the funding for that study. Many of us on the study group
<br />were disappointed in only one aspect of our effort. And that was the studies we recommended
<br />did not examine the impact on Native Hawaiians because of, yeah, because of his concern about
<br />the issue, my husband worked with others to set this right. They found that Dr. Edelstein had
<br />expertise examining such issues and that he had experience in Hawai‛i. My husband and those
<br />that worked with him asked Dr. Edelstein to outline a proposal that could be presented to the
<br />Windward Planning Commission.
<br />
<br />I strongly support you, the Commissioners, funding this effort. Too often in working groups in
<br />County and State government, we ignore the challenges faced by Native Hawaiians or we deal
<br />with them as an afterthought. I ask today that you reverse this, and approve this study. I think
<br />the study can serve as a pivot for examining Native Hawaiian issues as they relate to future
<br />planning and development on this Island. Thank you for listening.
<br />
<br />MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions? Thank you.
<br />
<br />CASH: My name is Joy Cash. Do you need my address? Is that the deal—
<br />
<br />MIYASATO: Yes, your residence, please.
<br />
<br />CASH: Oh, it’s 272 Noelani Loop, Hilo, Hawai‛i, yeah. I’m one of those people that came to
<br />the geothermal issue by way of my friend, Norrie Roberts, Robbins, who holds a Ph.D. in
<br />geology. And when I asked her about—she’s familiar, she’s travelled all over the world and has
<br />35 years field experience with geology—and when I asked her about the geothermal, she said I’ll
<br />get back to you. And she, she’s very familiar with Africa and Polynesia, including Hawai‛i. She
<br />says oh, she said you have a very permeable geology there, and geothermal is a big no-no-no.
<br />And, so I started to get involved, and I thought, the more I learned, and my background myself is
<br />in Chinese medicine, so my concern always is with the health and wellbeing of all our—what
<br />does that mean? I have two minutes more?
<br />
<br />PATEL: Yes.
<br />
<br />CASH: Oh good. With the health and wellbeing of all our citizens here. And, if, I really would
<br />encourage all of you to include all of our citizens in our considerations and to not do so is really
<br />marginalizing our Hawaiian hosts, and so, this is why I came today, and my training in Chinese
<br />medicine tells me that to live under the stress of in seis—induced seismology from the drilling of
<br />the geothermal, and the chemical impacts to the community, and also, the stress of knowing there
<br />were, deep held, long held before any of us came here, religious beliefs. We must, I believe in
<br />st
<br />the 21 century, we’ve come to a more inclusive community, and that’s, I love being here,
<br />because it’s a, you know, it’s just not one people, it’s all the peoples come here to live together.
<br />So, I encourage you to spend the money or find some extra money somewhere else to include
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