HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 135 Draft 01 1992-1994COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
RESOLUTION N0. 135 93
WHEREAS, the State Department of Business, Economic
Development and Tourism desires to facilitate the development of a
rocket launch facility, also known as a "spaceport," in the Ka'u
District of the island and county of Hawaii, and has undertaken
various research and investigative studies toward that objective,
including the definition of a conceptual plan for such a rocket
launch facility and the preparation and publication of a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (D.E.I.S.) in Compliance with the
provisions of Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, based on general agreement among citizens of this
state that land use and permitting decisions should rest at the
county level of government, the Council of the County of Hawaii
wishes to express official comment on the conceptual plan and the
D.E.I.S.; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the County of Hawaii, having
extensively reviewed, researched and considered such D.E.I.S.,
finds that significant and critical informational deficiencies
existing in that document render the D.E.I.S. wholly inadequate as
a basis for approving the proposed conceptual plan and development
of the proposed project; and
WHEREAS, such deficiencies instead serve to raise grave
concerns about the viability and safety of the proposed projet:t,
for example:
(1) the lack of a comprehensive and integrated
assessment of the natural disaster risks and hazards peculiar in
combination and severity to the area where the facility would be
situated, such location being described by the Hawaii County Civil
Defense Agency Administrator as one of the world's worst areas for
natural disasters, and
(2) the lack of any data on upper atmospheric air
circulation as is acknowledged to be critical in making a proper
assessment of launch impacts on the observatory facilities of
Hawaii's fragile, high value astronomy industry atop Mauna Kea,
and what, if any, practicable mitigation measures exist once
reliable atmospheric data has been obtained, and
(3) the questionable feasibility of mitigating launch
impacts on astronomy and marine resources through the proposition
that launches would only occur during yet unknown wind conditions
and while no sea turtles were present within a 78 square mile
offshore area, and
(4) no study has been done regarding the launching of
nuclear materials, although it has been recognized and affirmed by
the Office of Space Industry and the State Attorney General, by
formal opinion dated January 31, 1991, that pursuant to the
pre-emption doctrine, a state statute prohibiting the use or
launching of nuclear materials is not enforceable or effective as
to any federal government activities, while this county and state
rests in national political, legal and economic environments where
the federal government is in fact either financially or
administratively involved in planning, certifying or financially
subsidizing many if not most rocket launches or payloads, and
(5) the apparent failure of the fuel spill management
scenarios to include reasonable postulation of "worst case"
conditions rather than "average case" conditions as the
sub-consultant (ACTA) admitted to have used in preparing its risk
assessments; and
WHEREAS, the cost to research and obtain the omitted
information and to restructure the D.E.I.S. risk assessments has
been proclaimed by the representatives of the Office of Space
Industry to be substantial, and by inference is seen to exceed one
million additional dollars over that committed to the existing
D.E.I.S. document, which cost the council finds unreasonable in
light of the extensive risks already identified in the D.E.I.S.
and the non-existence of a private sector commitment to develop
any such facility at the proposed site.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF
HAWAII this document shall be its official comment on the
D.E.I.S.; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that based on the content of the
D.E.I.S and through the council's research, Palima Point, Ka'u, is
not a safe and appropriate location for a rocket launch facility;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it requests Governor John D.
Waihee, III to halt the expenditure of any additional state funds
either (1) for the extensive remedial studies required to amend
and properly complete the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or
(2) to facilitate, promote or subsidize development of a rocket
launch facility at Palima Point, Ka'u, County of Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that future state government funds
should be spent on direct economic benefits for the Ka'u region
through a further commitment to education, diversified agriculture
activities, increased funding of the Community-based Economic
Development programs of the State's Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be
transmitted to Governor John D. Waihee III; Stephen Yamashiro,
Mayor, County of Hawaii; Norman Mizuguchi, President of the
Senate; Malama Solomon, Senator; Richard Matsuura, Senator; Andrew
Levin, Senator; Joseph Souki, Speaker of the House of
Representatives; Jerry Chang, Representative; Harvey Tajiri,
Representative; Robert Herkes, Representative; Dwight Takamine,
Representative; Virginia Isbell, Representative; Larry Tanimoto,
Representative; Mufi Hannemann, Director, Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism; and Takeshi Yoshihara, Deputy
Director, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Dated at Hilo, Hawaii, this 17th day of November 1993.
INTRODUCED BY:
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Reference
COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. ~5 `~