HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0062.001 2014-2016comments on Communication 62. Update on lava by Civil Defense and Public Works
for Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit
10:30 AM Tuesday, February 3, 2015, Hilo chambers
from Cory Harden, Box 10265, Hilo, Hawaii 96721 808-959-7747 333corynGmailcom
Please ask the Mayor to use his emergency powers to shut down PGV if lava cuts off Route 130 and/ or
power lines feeding PGV.
At last Thursday's meeting in Patios, PGV said they will continue day and night drilling, and keep running
the plant, even if lava cuts off Route 130, and cuts off one, or both. of the two power lines feeding PGV.
PGV may also run the plant as a stand-alone power source for Puna if both power lines are cut off.
Please get answers to these questions:
1 -What is the emergency plan for a Route 130 cutoff, plus no electric power, plus a lava evacuation, plus
a geothermal release, plus drilling?
When residents asked about an emergency plan last Thursday, PGV said the County or State is
responsible. But rule 24 of the County Geothermal Resource Permit requires PGV to "submit to, and
secure the approval of, the Hawaii (sic] County Civil Defense Director a final plan of action to deal with
emergency situations which may threaten the health, safety, and welfare of the employees and other
persons in the vicinity of the proposed project site' and says "Copies of the emergency plan shall be
made available to the public by the applicant."
There was no plan for the geothermal release plus Tropical Storm Iselle, and now over 100 people are
reporting health effects.
Based on Puna Pone Alliance records, in the past 16 years, geothermal releases and other incidents
have occurred, on average, once every three months.
2 -What problems could arse if PGV Ines to run as a stand-alone power source?
They would need to reduce their power output. They might temporarily plug some wells, but how long
would the plugs last? They might run wells at a reduced rate, but would solids precipitate out of the bone
and block the flow?
3 -If PGV has power, but only from one power line. how much more likely is a geothermal release?
As you know, every power outage causes a geothermal release. PGV is supposed to abate releases with
sodium hydroxide. But this does not remove chemicals in the steam, and sometimes spreads fine
powder over catchment tanks and everything else nearby.
4 -What is the County's liability if it knowingly allows hazardous conditions at PGV?
Please act to avoid multiple emergencies. Decisions about public health and safety should not be made
by private companies who answer to a few shareholders, but by government officials who answer to
everyone.
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