HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0354.022 2024-2026P CRca&
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Keona Paaluhi
P.O. Box 948
Pahala, Hawaii 96777
paaluhikeona@gmail.com .
July 07, 2025
To Whom It May Concern,
GO'UNTY CLERK
W NTY OF HAWAII
2025 JUL -7 Ali 11: 10
Subject: Opposition Letter Regarding Geothermal Energy Development by Waika Consulting
and innovations Development Group.
Aloha mai kakou,
I write this letter as a member of the Ka'u community, to express my strong and unwavering
opposition to any proposed geothermal development within the district of Ka'u. Ka'u is not just a
piece of land to be exploited for energy - it is a wahi pana, a sacred and storied place deeply
rooted in Native Hawaiian culture, 'ohana legacy, and environmental integrity.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance
Ka'u is not just a geographic area -it is a living, breathing wahi pana. The lands in question are
intimately connected to the mo'oku'auhau of our people, and to Pelehonuamea, the goddess of
fire and volcanoes. Any geothermal drilling in this sacred landscape is an act of cultural
desecration. To pierce the body of Pele is not progress -it is violation.
These lands are home to ancient trails, heiau (temples), and burials. Development risks
irreparable harm to sites that carry not just historical, but ancestral mana. Ignoring this is a
continuation of colonial patterns that devalue Hawaiian cosmology and sovereignty.
`Aina-Based Practices and Sustainability
Our people have survived on this land for generations through malama 'aina-care and
reciprocity with the environment. Ka'u is one of the last strongholds of traditional subsistence:
fishing, gathering, ranching, and small-scale farming. Geothermal development threatens these
practices through potential land degradation, limited access, and eventual displacement.
Rather than industrializing our rural communities, we should be investing in community -owned
renewable systems that respect local ecology and cultural values -not extractive models driven
by outside interest.
Health, Noise, and Environmental Concerns
Geothermal operations -particularly as seen in Puna -come with significant risks:
Hydrogen sulfide gas exposure threatens respiratory health. B'
Comm. N � `�r•• -L-.-�---
Ref. To: ® v
Ref. Date JUL - 9 2f125
There is risk of groundwater contamination, habitat destruction, and disruption of native
ecosystems, including those vital to endangered species.
Ka'u has some of the most pristine, untouched landscapes in Hawai'i. Let us not follow the
same path that has led to community division and environmental harm elsewhere.
In Conclusion
I respectfully urge you to honor the voice of the people of Ka'u, who have consistently and
overwhelmingly stood in defense of the land. Do not allow geothermal development to proceed
in our district.
Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono-the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Let this
not be just a motto, but a guiding principle in your decision.
Nole i pau ke aloha no ka `aina.
Me ka `oiaTo,
Keona Paaluhi