HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0421.013 2012-2014 Murashige, Laura 17,1 r-
From: Nicki Conti [nickiconti @gmail.com]
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Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 3:42 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us 2013 SEP 16 AM 9: 08
Subject: Bill 129 ban Fracking
From:
Nicki Conti nickiconti @gmail.com
Sevyn Galambos Sevgalam @gmail. com
13-649 Pohoiki rd
Pahoa Hi 96778
To:
Hawaii County Council
Hilo Hi
Dear council members,
We are writing in support of Bill 129 , as residents of the county of Hawaii and
neighbors of Puna Geothermal Ventures (PVG) , we believe our very real concerns for our
safety and health have been continually marginalized and ignored not only by PVG but by
many state and county officials as well as private industry investors and corporations
whose sole goal is profit. We believe that Act 97 and the push to streamline Geothermal
Development was, and is, a back door, grease the palm policy, and it is an affront to the
residents of Hawaii. Under the guise of clean renewable energy, corporations and drilling
companies are working to gain access to millions of dollars of available grants (free
money) so they can use that money to gamble on an energy source that is neither green, nor
fully renewable. Spinning their stories of safe energy, and lower utility bills, on a
daily bases they risk nothing in this gamble. Meanwhile, the people of Hawaii are put at
continued daily risk and the indigenous people of Hawaii, in addition to having their
land and health endangered, must also endure complete lack of respect for their spiritual
beliefs.
Industry leaders continue to produce studies that state the safety of Enhanced Geothermal
Systems (EGS) , but none of these studies or experiments were conducted on the side of a
fully active volcano. Here in Puna the dangers of live lava coming out of the ground
already force residents ( those who can afford it ) to pay the some of highest home
insurance rates in the country. How can it be both ways? The insurance industry states
that it is so dangerous for us to live in this area they cannot even insure our homes, and
the geothermal industry states it is perfectly safe to drill and frack into the ground
right near our homes. Industries leaders apparently think EGS is "so safe" that there is
no reason the residents, who will live in close proximity to drilling and fracking
everyday, even need to know what exactly they are injecting into the ground right next to
our homes. They go to great lengths to protect their proprietary mix of what ? A mix that
may end up in our water table, or our favorite beach park. They go to great lengths to
denounce anyone opposed to their plans as uneducated ,the crazy fringe or druggies. They
call out safe, but they offer no transparency and no reason to trust.
EGS is not just a nice little hole in the ground somewhere off in the middle of nowhere
making
endless free energy. It is a heavy industry and will create heavy industrial problems,
including noise , nighttime light pollution, foul smelling gas, traffic problems, loss of
tourism and the income tourism brings to residents, and loss of property values. EGS also
has the very real potential of creating chemical plumes, hydrogen sulfide gas plumes,
degradation of water quality, loss of farm land, earthquakes, and last but not least lava
eruptions.
The alternatives to both EGS and traditional geothermal energy development , alternatives
that will create real green sustainable energy, without creating dangers to the Islands
of Hawaii or its people, are already here and they are being utilized with great positive
effect . We do not need to industrialize the Island of Hawaii, so that in 10 or 20 or 30
years the time frame Richard Lim director of Hawaii Department of Business Economic
Development just stated it may take to complete an undersea cable) we can send all the
1 Comm. No. 4421./3
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Ref. Date
power to Oahu. If the millions and millions of grant money being given to geothermal and
drilling corporations by the D.O.E was used now to install solar water systems, create
solar micogrids, and increase conservation, along with the many other options available to
us including biofuels, wind, and wave energy, our energy needs would most likely be met in
much less time , with less cost , less environmental risk and happier residents.
We applauded Brenda Ford and the efforts of this council to protect the people and Island
from rampant and unnecessary industrial development.
Thank you all for your efforts and time.
Aloha
Nicki Conti
And Sevyn Galambos
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