HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0825.035 2010-2012 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: Wally Andrade [biofarmer123 @hawaiiantel.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 9:17 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Opposition Testimony Bill 292
Please Listen...
I truly appreciate the Council's desire to act as a shield for the people of this island and your efforts to
protect and keep us safe and happy, however I can't help but feeling that in regards to further geothermal
development the Council appears to be an opponent rather than a partner with the geothermal energy
developer in resolving delicate issues in the 1 mile buffer zone. It also appears to me that the people at
PGV share in these concerns and are willing to sit down and address the issues. Please stop with
implementing roadblock and get to working out details for a plan that works in these areas.
• SO2 health and safety issues from the well sites during daily operations and or in a blow out
situation. There is no doubt that breathing high concentrations of SO2 is not a healthy practice.
o Many residents in the vicinity of the PGV well have complaints of serious health issues
others do not.
• are these health issues related to emission from the well, are they unrelated or are
they caused by the huge volume of VOG emissions from the volcano itself, which I
might add extend way past the 1 mile buffer zone.
• Many people are sick in the Kau-Kona region... headaches, no energy, coughing up
blood etc. and they all live miles away from any well. It's sad but the air quality sucks
for most of us these days... it is part of the deal of living with a volcano... The other
part of the deal is the real opportunity for firm low cost electricity, the added economic
benefits and the added energy security derived from geothermal development.
• Noise from drilling... some residents in the vicinity of the PGV well drilling have complaints others
do not. Passing a bill to limit the hours of drilling doesn't solve the noise level problem, it prolongs
the drilling timetable and doesn't deal with the core issues... noise level, duration and lowering the
cost of electricity.
o These people at PGV are on record of wanting to reduce the noise level... I want you all to
work with them to achieve this outcome.
• Evacuation plan
o I am glad one was developed and put on the shelf.
o Please continue to get with the stakeholders, dust it off, refine it, put it in play and practice it
so it works if it is needed.
• Buying up property in the buffer zone.
o What are you doing? Some of the residents in the vicinity of the well would like the county to
buy their property other do not. Why would you take that choice away? Really shouldn't
PGV be acquiring these properties instead of the County?Anyway give the residents the
choice... sell or stay but everybody in the buffer zone get a disclosure in their deed. Work
out something... I don't think you have enough facts to act like the property needs to be
condemned.
I hope you all are beginning to realize that without a low cost, dependable source of firm power, like
geothermal we are all going to suffer excessive electricity rates. We can go visit Volcano National Park,
look at the crater and dream about how we could have powered our island and maybe if the numbers
worked out we could become an IPP, selling power to Oahu... what a thought.
That's all I have to say. Thanks for the opportunity.
Wally Andrade
Hamakua
Comm. N•/ Z . ,jC
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Ref. To: > �
Ref. Date I
10/16/2012