HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0710.130 2010-2012 P ge1of1
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Murashige, Laura CL 1fj(,
From: Soen Takashi Settanni [soeneido @gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 12:20 AM ..,
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony for County Council Meeting 8/1/12 —
Aloha Hawaii County Council Members. Thank you for reading my testimony.
My name is Stephen Yabe Settanni. I'm a 28-year old hapa guy. I've lived in Puna for 2 years, c9
and currently reside in Glenwood. Before this, I lived between California and Colorado. I am E" -
writing to tell you why I moved to Glenwood, and to testify on behalf of the people of Puna.
When I first got on-island, I worked down in Kapoho at Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center for
Dr. Maya Baylac. I was the chef. My whole life I've been extremely athletic and healthy -
perfect diet, no smoking, drinking or drugs - I usually got sick about once every 2-3 years.
When I was working in Kapoho I started to have health problems. I stopped being able to digest
food and had terrible cramps, and I started seeing MDs, who were perplexed. I then started
having allergies, and my doctor discovered that it was not from food - but environmental
allergies. Someone mentioned they had similar problems from living in Puna from the
geothermal plant. After what I am about to tell you, I feel certain that my health problems are a
DIRECT RESULT of Geothermal pollution by PGV. After a few months, I started to get sick,
and very very exhausted. I have been sick 6 times now since moving to the big island - more
than I had been sick in the 10 years before! This is not normal - I thought I was coming to
Hawaii for clean air and water, and to create a sustainable future! I finally had to move up
mauka from lower Puna about a year ago. However, I didn't get completely better, like I thought
I would. Things got a little better, but I still had a lot going on - still got sick a lot and was
exhausted. Then, four months ago, I got a job on Hamakua near Waimea working for The
Exclusive as the Kitchen Manager and Executive Chef. It's a grueling job with long days, so I
stay out there 2-3 nights a week. However, even though I work so much, when I'm out there, I
feel much, much better - I feel like myself again: energized, no sore throat, no eczema flaky skin,
no facial swelling, and no getting sick, no indigestion(!) - all symptoms in Puna. Because of
this, I started looking at places to move to in Waimea last week and my partner and I now intend
to move there at the end of August. I love Puna- but I don't think I can live there while PGV's
'horrible violation of human rights plant' is still running.
Please protect Puna's people and Hawai'i and shut down PGV. Don't tolerate any expansion, for
any amount of money. There is a tremendous abundance of renewable energy resources here -
solar, wind, hydro-gravity systems run off of catchment in wet places in Puna- I've learned a lot
about renewable energy since being sick. I intend to help educate and implement.
Even if it's not possible to shut it down at this time, please,At Least please support Bills # 256
and 257 and over-ride Kenoi's veto.
Mahalo for your Kokua,
'Soen' Stephen Yabe Settanni
0 Corrmrn. No �. �
Ref. To:
Ref. Date AUG 0 1
7/31/2012