HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0721.004 2012-2014 Lanihau Properties LL --
P..O. OoT 9032
Katfua-'Kpna,9ff 96745
2hone. (808)936-7129 0 rEa_v (808)329-8044
Email rsmith n fanthau.nct
COUNTY CLERK
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March 17, 2014 COUNTY OF HAWAPI
RECEIVED
Ms. Wille, Chairperson Time C145
County Council Date_ +I
Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability !
RE: Communication 721: Testimony concerning the National Park
Service's public statements concerning their petition on the
Keauhou aquifer
Chair Wille, Vice Chair Poindexter and Council members; my name is
Riley Smith, President of Lanihau Properties and I am providing
testimony concerning Communication 721 on today's agenda. For your
information, I am also the CEO for the combined family enterprise that
includes Palani Ranch. We have been stewards of lands in North Kona
since the early 1900s and used to own the ahupuaa of Honokohau,
which included the portion that was sold to the federal government for
the Kaloko Honokohau National Park.
I would like to share my thoughts on the National Park Service's efforts
to designate the Keauhou aquifer. I attended the County Council's site
visit to the Kaloko Honokohau National Park and reconvened Council
Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability on Tuesday,
2/18/14. At this meeting, Jonathan Scheuer (consultant to NPS), Paula
Cutillo, Ph.D./Hydrologist for NPS and Tammy Duchesne,
Superintendent for NPS, when asked by Councilmember Valerie
Poindexter, stated that the NPS has shared their water quality data with
the other Kona stakeholders (landowners, developers, County agencies).
This is not true. Jeff Zimpfer, NPS Environmental Protection Specialist
was also present at this Council meeting.
As a member of the Kona Community Development Plan, Action
Committee, Subcommittee on Water, I along with Chair Ken Melrose met
with Jonathan Scheuer, Paula Cutillo, Sallie Beavers, Jeff Zimpfer and
Kathy Billings (former Superintendent) on January 16, 2013. We met on
various water issues for over two hours. During this meeting, I asked the
NPS representatives for access to their water quality data that they have
collected at the Park since 2008. Paula Cutillo's response was, "We
Comm. No. 7.11
Ref. To: P7 A'W
Ref. Date MAR 18 2014
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have two ongoing studies being conducted. Delwin Oki's work for
USGS, that should be completed in 2014. Also a Geochemistry/Isotopic
analysis, that is being jointly funded by USGS/CWRM that should be
done in 2013. Data that was collected since 2008 is still being checked
for quality assurance/quality control and should be released for public
use at some time in the future." I questioned why it takes over five years
for the NPS to "calibrate" their data. Ms. Cutillo said it takes a long time.
For your information, when we conducted our Environmental
Assessment for our Palani Well in 2009, ,the NPS submitted an 11 page
comment letter on May 7, 2009. My consultant's (Ron Terry, Ph.D.) 33
page reply that included substantiating testimony from Tom Nance,
Water Resource Engineering, Steven Montgomery, Ph.D., Steve Dollar,
Ph.D., was submitted to the NPS four months later on October 5, 2009.
Our reply and Environmental Assessment was accepted by the Water
Board in 2009, as meeting the obligations of the environmental
disclosure process. My point is that it is not fair that a private landowner
is required to be responsive to public comments and publicly funded j
agencies can take over six years and still not share information that was
obtained through government resources.
After the Water Board meeting on February 25, 2014, 1 again questioned
the NPS and asked them to provide their studies and water quality data.
On February 26, 2014, 1 was provided some of the info that had been
previously requested. On March 11, 2014 1 asked the NPS to provide the
remaining water quality data that they have had access to since 2008.
On March 13, 2014, Jeff Zimpfer of the NPS confirmed that he had
received my request and that he'd reply to my request "...as soon as
possible".
So, I question the accuracy of their statements that they share their
water quality data, since they haven't (and I'm still waiting after six
years). Yet I share my data with them in a timely manner.
Mahalo for your time and contributions to our community.
Aloha,
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Riley W. Smith, P.E.
President
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