2015-03-05 Hearing Transcript - WPC Initiated Puna Pono Alliance GAF

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you, what will you say?" She said, "well, Ma, it's, it's our future, too." And, with that answer, it was all right with me that she took a stand on the `aina for the present and future generations. As I said, now she's 40 and a mother of an eight-year old. You know, there's always been concern. At that time, we had a fellow named Marco Notrica who had his masters degree from, from Harvard in toxicology who wrote a study on hydrogen's, the detrimental effects of hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Now, this has been going for over 25-30 years and there's still that concern about hydrogen sulfide poisoning and the, the health of those who are impacted in the area but how about Native Hawaiians whose `aina this is who end up being strangers in our own homeland, and you know this keeps, this whole issue keeps getting swept under the rug. You know, whatever you have to do to fine-tune this issue, you are telling us that it is not that you are against this issue, but that, but that this, this, proposal has to be fine- tuned. Well, you know, you have lawyers, you know, why hasn't this been fine-tuned before now. You know, why does it take a reconsideration of this issue before you do anything about it. You have lawyers working with you. You know, it's your responsibility to get this fine-tuned, body, who are here to represent our best interest and are here to protect the community. My people end up being strangers in their own homeland. There's no question about the impacts of, of geothermal development to the health and safety of , of our Native Hawaiian community and the community at large. So, enough is enough. This has been going on for too long. As a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, I was, when they, when this, the, these revenues first came to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, out of principal, you know, I was not for it. So, you know, the buck stops with this body. So, let's get the lawyers to work on it, fine tune this issue, so that we may go on, and that this, this issue can be taken care of as you, as been said, the expert is Dr. Edelstein. Have him take care of it. We also know that three out of four issues have been no RFPV [sic], RFP's in the past, so that's certainly your discretion. So we are saying and we are asking you, in all humility, let's move on, and get this issue taken care of. Mahalo. FERGERSTROM: Good morning, members. My name is Hanalei Fergerstrom. I'm from the District of Puna. I live in Kurtistown. I am particularly interested in having this move forward as quickly as possible because this is the first time I've ever seen somebody start addressing the impacts on Native Hawaiians because the whole geothermal thing is just a, it's a, it's an assault on our religious backgrounds. And that assault obviously is going to affect our community the -- a way we conduct our culture. The mindset of Hawaiians who grew up understanding the sacredness of Pele, and to, to continually watch this, this—this raping, and I consider it a rape because there was no gift of Pele. It was rape. She was raped. And it continues, and, and—and, there are so many things that, that need to be put on the table so we have a better understanding. We're not, you know, I'm a member of the community but I'm also a Hawaiian who is directly impacted by it. I'm also priest of the temple of Lono, so it has very, very, very profound impacts on me on, and also on how I'm able to project or, or pass onto our younger members of our community. What we deem as sacred in Hawaii and why, and how that all fits together—this study is, is more than, more than overdue. And it's really, as I understand this, it's a, it's to conduct a baseline, just a baseline. We're not talking about the ramifications of the study, yeah, we're not even talking about that part yet. So, I don't think there should be any problem with getting this started now, quite frankly. 14 EXHIBIT E