2018-04-05 Hearing Transcript - Hu Honua Bioenergy SMA 221 (Dec Ruling)

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us know that what we have working so far, or what we haven't placed so far, are not succeeding as compromises, and that there is one side of the equation that's losing, that the human interests are being subsumed to the business interest. There is not a conflict between what the community wants and what organized labor wants. We all want a quality of life to improve; we want our natural resources to be sustained; we want our energy sources to be green; we want jobs to thrive. Jobs are thriving here. But, we also recognize that we can be fooled by complexities and by intricacies of contracts and reports and by things that look like their offers to appeal to our better interest, and they may not be. When I had to enforce safety and health laws in the Labor Department about safe working conditions, one thing I learned was that when standards are derived that we apply to business practices, these standards are what got through the political process, you know, after the different lobbying groups all got their opinion on what should be the standard for how our safe work places should be. That means that's not ideal for human beings long term, and we see the consequences of workers who wind up at the end of their careers with serious illnesses and death and damage from standards that were met in the businesses that they worked in. So, we are all in the same canoe together. You guys may be helping us to steer where we're going. But, I think what you are hearing today is the community saying, you know, we see rocks ahead, we hear concerns, we hear the sounds out there that are making us know that we are not on the right path. And, I hope that you will listen to the community and respect this democratic process to try to change some of the positions that have been taken so far so that the community's interest can be upheld above the business interest. Mahalo. MARTIN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the committee, Chairman Clarkson. Thanks for the opportunity. George Martin. I live in Laupahoe [Laupahoehoe]. Unfortunately, not quite Hamakua. It's North Hilo. Several concerns with regards to turning down reverse alarms. I'm a mechanic by trade. I work for Yamada & Sons, and we have regulations by MSHA not OSHA, and if I turned down one of those alarms, I'm gonna get gigged, and Mr. Yamada, God rest his soul, would have me wringed, if I did something like that. So, if you guys are doing that on the job site, please stop, because it's a safety issue, okay? And, my brothers and sisters out there working need to be safe. I heard somebody indicate that a power plant is being built in a neighborhood; unfortunately, people, your houses are being built next to a power plant that was there some 50 years before you got here. You're welcome to come, appreciate you being here, congratulations for getting your opportunity to be here, but you are on Ag land, it is a house. I understand it; I live on the same thing. We have family property. Coqui frogs. The decibels on coqui frogs is about 68 decibels, if they are outside your window TRASK: Constant. MARTIN: Constant TRASK: Not periodic. You can sleep with a constant. You can't sleep with the periodic. HO HALL: You had your time to speak. Please don't interrupt the testifier. MARTIN: Thank you, ma'am. I keep hearing under all conditions or at all times. I think I understood what was said. I didn't read the document. I'm not a lawyer. But, it says while or when the plant is running. The plant is not running. This is a construction phase. You all built EXHIBIT D 16