HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0710.101 2010-2012 el COMM.
COMM /0
Aloha e Council Chair and members of the Hawaii County Council. I am here to
testify in opposition to Bill 256 and on behalf of Mayor Kenoi's veto. My name is
Frankie Stapleton and I've lived about a mile or so, as the a'ala flies, from the
geothermal operations in Puna for the past 33 years. So I was a resident prior to
the development of the geothermal plants, in the upper part of Nanawale Estates.
Geothermal emissions have not affected my neighborhood at all. I do sometimes
hear the plant but the noise is minimal, barely audible at my home. The only
possible effect I've noticed, and I don't know if it's coming from the volcano or the
geothermal plant, is ground vibration. At this point, it is intermittent and very low
level. At times in the past year or so, the vibrations have been more consistent
and in one two-week period, my immediate neighbors and I reported some small
earthquakes. HVO has a record of that small flurry we experienced last year.
My health has not been affected by geothermal and my friend, the late Jim Witty,
lived right downwind of the plant in Leilani Estates. He and his family never
reported any ill effects from the geothermal activity.
I think it would be totally unfair, unnecessary and expensive to the taxpayer to
declare a one-mile buffer zone at this point in time.. Anyone who moved into the
area since 1985 should have had ample knowledge of the neighborhood and its
adjacent geothermal activity.
What they may not have realized was that ground cracks in the area emit
noxious gases and did long before the geothermal drilling took place. Richard
Lyman, in his remarks at the dedication of the geothermal plant, mentioned the
Hawaiian name of the area (sorry, I don't remember the name he told us...it
should be on old maps with the Hawaiian place names there) but he said it was
given that name for the stinky air there.
I do know there are so many variables in the lives of those newer residents of the
area that could contribute to their physical symptoms and possible ill health. This
issue is far too complex for it to be bandied about as a political football at this.--5 _
time. And unfair to Leilani and other longtime residents. And unnecessarily
expensive to Hawaii County taxpayers.
Thank you for your attention to my comments.
Malama pono, ,
FRANKIE STAPLETON
PO Box 2094,
Pahoa, Hi 96778
14-803 Crystal Circle,
Nanawale Estates
Comm. P�
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