HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0493.059 2000-2002 ~ES1'IM®NY ®N
PR®P®SEO REVISB®NS GENERAL PLAN
C®UN1`l' OF I~A141dA11
Sy Keichi Ikeda
73-1 ~4Sg Ihurv~oe Street
Kailua Kona, I~lawaii 9670 ~
June 20 2002 ~r~.~...,,,___° z._c~rt?~.-
~ (;,aunty ~aunci! r >
Gear Members of the County Council:
I heartily endorse and applaud the proposed revisions of Areas G
G-7, and G-S from their present designations to ®pen. I believe these
revisions are in the best interest of Kona because it will protect the few
beaches accessible to the public from development.
I°lowever, I would like to express nyy (and many other community
members'} opposition to the reclassification of Area G- from Extensive
Agriculture to Urban Expansion.
Area G-~, which is l~ELC®'s property immediately adjacent to
~lawaiian ~iomelands land to the north, land proposed for University expansion
use to the east, and the Keahole Agricultural Park to the south, is not
suitable for power plant use for the following reasons:
1. Kona already suffers from polluted air caused by the vog. Many
people with respiratory problems are already suffering. A fossil
fuel power plant (especially one that refuses to incorporate proper
emission controls) will only add to this air pollution.
2. Area G-~ is located just across the street from the entrance to
the Kona International Airport. A power plant located here gill be an
eyesore greeting all incoming visitors.
3. °I~he Department of Hawaiian I~omelands is planning to use its
property immediately north of Area G ~ for housing. fii his is in an
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area most severely impacted by emissions from a power plant
located in Area G-~~'
~4. ~fhe land which is planned for the West Hawaii campus of the
University of Hawaii wil! also be heavily impacted by the power plant
emissions.
5. ~'he residents of the Keahole Agricultural Park are already being
adversely affected by HE~CO's emissions and excessive noise from
the existing plant.
6. ~°here is no need for a power plant at this site. 1`he recent
completion of the SO megawatt Hamakua Energy Partners' plant in
Honokaa, plus the 10 megawatt wind power farm in Kohala, plus the
proposed 5 megawatt wind farm at Upolu Point, plus the availability
of 22 megawatts from the Hilo Coast Power Company in Pepeekeo
eliminates the need for a fossil fuel burning power plant at the
entrance to the Kona airport. 6
The plant being proposed for installation in Area C-~ will not
incorporate emission control devices required by the EPA on all new
combustion turbine power plants in the United States. HEI~CO
exploited a loophole in EPA regulations to avoid compliance. For this
reason, HELCO's plant will be emitting 3 times more NOx, a very
poisonous gas, than the slightly larger Hamakua Energy Partners'
plant. ~°his, in an area known to entrap and hold air pollution.
S. Operation of the plant will require the use of more than 1 X5,000
gallons of water a day. 1°he availability of this water is questionable.
9. `The designed noise level of this power plant is approximately ~
times the noise level allowed by the I~OH noise standards, but
HEl.CO has no intention of reducing it to comply with the standards.
HELCO has proven its intention by petitioning the State Supreme
Court to order SOH not to enforce the limits.
1®. T"he electrical ratepayers of this county will be saddled with
paying nnore than ~ 12 rnitlion extra per year to ~I~LCO if this plant is
built.
11. If t~ELCO's plant is built, it wilt discourage and delay
development of clean alternative sources of energy such as wind
power, photovoltaic, fuel cells, and wave energy because ht~LCO wilt
insist on imposing stand-by energy charges on parties who try to
generate their own power.
12. If a power plant is built in the subject area, it will require the
heating of about 12 tanker truck loads of fuel from Milo a day.
CONCLUSION:
I'or the above reasons,~l respectfully request the Ntembers of the
County Council to keep ,area GR~ under its present classification. Changing
its classification to Urban expansion is not in the best interest of the
public. Changing the classification will only serve to help an irresponsible
corporate citizen to irr~pose its wiB6 on the public without regard for the public
welfare.
Thank you.
Respectfully subrviitted,
i ~l
Keichi Ikeda
Rhone: 325-1 ~S9
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