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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0421.054 2012-2014 support for Comm. 421 (Bill 129) prohibiting fracking for Hawai'i County Council Committee on Agriculture, Water& Energy Sustainability 1:30 PM Tuesday, September 17, 2013, Hilo Council Chambers from Cory Harden, PO Box 10265. Hilo, Occupied Hawai'i 96721 808-959-7747 mh©interpac.net If we ban tracking, and that turns out to be a mistake, we can just lift the ban. But if we allow tracking, and that's a mistake, we may never get our island back as it was. Fracking could mean drilling rigs firing up almost anywhere in Hawai'i. since geothermal tracking may work in locations where conventional drilling doesn't work. Fracking in Hawai'i may cause earthquakes, may release toxic gases. and may contaminate and deplete water resources. Some problems may not crop up for years, and it may be costly and difficult—or impossible--to find out who's at fault. But even if you find the culprit, they may not have enough money to clean up after themselves. Or the company may have dissolved--many do, in the states, after they finish drilling. Residents are left to clean up-- if they can. Some people say "We don't need to ban tracking—we have regulatory agencies!"Well, we all know how that's working out with geothermal. Governor Abercrombie just told the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Conference that geothermal is one of the energy sources on which he will "press forward relentlessly" [1]and that he supports the inter-island electric cable. NextEra Energy, the only company that has gone to the Public Utilities Commission and outlined a plan to build that cable, has already spent about $10 million on "acquiring site control" [2]and other work in Hawaii. NextEra has consolidated revenues of about $14.3 billion. So we have two gorillas in the room who are sure to push geothermal(racking. Just not next door to Abercrombie, or NextEra's CEO. That leaves you, our County Council, as one of our last defenses against big government and big business. Please ban tracking. Mahalo. [1]Abercrombie quoted in 'Governor vows to install undersea cable despite opposition'; Honolulu Star- Advertiser, 9-10-13 [2]"Cost of undersea electric cable put at$700M, Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 9-15-13 w n cn 7.7 C3 rrl '1 C7 V ;-< rr- 1 w � NCO — Comm. No, 44•2/. 551 Ref. To' e//14/_. • ___ Ref Bate _. fl 2OI3_.,