HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0421.065 2012-2014 Council Testimony
From: Nelson Ho <nho.hoku @gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 10:54 AM
To: Council Testimony; Karen Eoff; Brenda Ford; Zendo kern; Greggor Ilagan;Etnnis= nishi
Lai Subject: Sierra Club Testimony in Support of Bill 129 p
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SIERRA CLUB TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF BILL 129 4.4
ALOHA COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS NELSON HO. I AM THE CHAIR OF THE HAWAII ISLAND SIERRA CLUB. TIPS IS"
SIERRA CLUB TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF BILL 129
I have been an active proponent of careful land management, since 1982, especially when a highly industrial
activity like the development of geothermal energy impacts rural communities and sensitive landscapes.
I am currently the Sierra Club member appointed by the State Legislature to its Geothermal Energy Working
Group mandated by Senate Concurrent Resolution 99-2010, authored by then Senator Russell Kokubun. In prior
years, Governor John Waihee appointed me to his Sate Energy Advisory Committee in 1987. I also served on
the Hawai`i Electric Light Company's (HELCO) Integrated Resource Planning Advisory Committee in 1994
and 1995.
THE US Environmental Protection Agency has defined hydraulic fracturing as a well stimulation process used
to maximize the extraction of underground resources; including oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, and even
water. Fracking is being considered for "Enhanced Geothermal Systems" by would-be developers here on the
Big Island.
Here in Hawaii, our geothermal experience has been that we can effect change best on the local level, much
more effectively than at the state level. This is democracy in action, and too often the action of last resort, by
communities threatened with large scale industrial pollution.
Communities NEED to have a say in what happens in our community because it is not just about Lower Puna,
but all of this island.
State government and its regulators have not stepped up to the plate. They either act as a booster club or
someone who is shacked and can not do their job. The Council serves a critical purpose in providing a local
forum and legislative remedies.
It is appropriate to act locally to protect our island, as this is where the imminent threat is. Since state-wide
regulation does not exist, County laws are appropriate.
Please support Bill 129.
Mahalo.
Nelson Ho
198 Hoku St.
Ph. 933-2650 c: 315-4850 golf•
Hilo, HI 96720 Comm. No.
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