HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0609.075 2022-2024 p/Council_
Si(( 107
COMM.W9
January 21, 2024
Honorable Heather Kimball
Hawai`i County Council Chair
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 = `�
41
RE: Opposition to Bill 107 '
Aloha Honorable Council Chair Kimball and Council Members,
The Keaukaha Pana`ewa Farmers Association represents Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
(DHHL)beneficiaries on agricultural Trust Lands in Pana`ewa.
We oppose Bill 107 because we cannot be assured that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
(DHHL)Trust Lands will be excluded from the Puna Makai Alternate Route(PMAR) study.
Our Pana`ewa and Keaukaha sister communities have been negatively impacted to serve the needs
of other communities. DHHL beneficiaries were forced out of their homes and relocated so DHHL
could transfer Trust Lands to the state for the Hilo Airport. The DHHL community that remained
endures the noise and pollution from the airport runway. The Hilo dump was located adjacent to
our community for 50 years and is still there. The electric plant and county sewage facilities are in
our community. Industrial facilities line the corridor to Keaukaha. We are impacted by the noise
from the Raceway Park located behind our homes. Every day, we deal with traffic and speeding
cars using Railroad Avenue as a bypass road.
Our community has been marginalized and like other marginalized minority communities, our
community is treated as an area where traffic is diverted, roads and airports are built, waste is
stored and dumped,industrial warehouses and facilities are concentrated, and our natural resources
are polluted. Enough is enough.
While we fully support the need to find a safe alternative route between Puna and Hilo for Puna
residents, this route cannot be through DHHL Trust Lands.
We appreciate your consideration of this request and ask that the Keaukaha Pana`ewa Farmers
Association be included in future meetings regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
Maile Lu'uwai
President
Keaukaha Pana`ewa Farmers Association n
Comm. No. O`1 i
Ref. To: 't11L1 hIC
Ref. late ijAN 2 4 2024