HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0710.038 2010-2012 Page 1 of 1
PICIDIA141:1.L.
Murashige, Laura CO '710
From: jayrbondesen @gmaii.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 8:41 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: opposition of Bill 256, Draft 2
Attachments: County Council testimony 6-5-2012.docx
Ne,....
Comm. No. -7 10•33
Ref. To: PiCautivA
Ref. Date 1JW D 6 ZUlL
6/5/2012
To: County Council, County of Hawaii June 5, 2012
Testimony opposed to Bill 256, Draft 2, regarding the Puna Geothermal Relocation and Community
Benefits fund
My name is Jay Bondesen and I live in Leilani Estates. My wife and I purchased a lot here in 2005 and
we were aware of the proximity and possible hazards of the geothermal plant. We built our home here
and have become a part of this community. My wife is a substitute teacher at Pahoa elementary school
and I am on the Leilani Homeowners Association Board of Directors.
We are against the proposed changes. The changes under consideration simply appear to be an over-
reaction to a small but vocal group of community activists. The scene is a common one of using
dramatic proclamations to encourage an emotional response rather than a considered one. If the
changes are approved as written the unintended consequences may be profound with adverse effects
to both the County and the community. The County will have an unmanageable program to administer
and the community may see a new and much lower 'assessed value' as the bottom drops out of the
real estate market. At that point a class action against the County of Hawaii would have to be
considered.
The Puna Geothermal Venture plant is a neighbor of ours and is better than most. The funding it
provides has allowed for numerous infrastructure enhancements within the district. That is what makes
one a good neighbor, making an effort that enhances the neighborhood. Most of us are in the NIMBY,
Not in My Back Yard, group and want to sit on our lanai and see uninterrupted views, smell sweetly
scented air, and hear nothing but the breeze in the palms. But that isn't reality for most of us so we
make accommodations. Right now society needs electricity and here we have a plant that produces it
and that was in place before I arrived. If just considering power plants, windmills might be the only
option I would prefer over the geothermal plant and there are several generating options which would
have kept me from moving here. And agricultural operations, manufacturing, waste treatment, and
many others would have put us off.
Please, do not allow the strident voices to prevail without due diligence. Find the expert testimony and
the voices of experience from other sites that operate successfully and safely. To create this huge zone
now, basically calling it uninhabitable, and providing money for relocation, is not the smart thing to do. It
is not the County's job to buy my house when I want to move. If the County can justify more regulation
on the plant requiring additional testing or safety features that should be the industry standard, then
fine, do that. But don't overreach and create a much bigger problem.
Thank you for your consideration.
Jay & Sara Bondesen
13-3651 Nohea Street
Pahoa, HI 96778
jayrbondesen @gmail.com