2024-11-23 Michelle Melendez Testimony

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From: Michelle Melendez To: WPCtestimonv; LPCtestimonv Subject: IMPORTANT Testimony on General Plan 2045(Mahalo for your kokua) Date: Saturday, November 23,2024 8:51:15 AM Aloha Commissioners, If this is a plan locals have supported and they're being contacted with each new draft, as Mr. Kern stated yesterday, why hasn't one person shown up? Mr. Kern wasn't sworn in and asked to raise his right hand to swear to tell the truth. I think he should be. Concerns about the plan: • "Reduced Miles Traveled" should be changed to "Travel Alternatives". It's against the Constitution to deprive people of their right to travel. That language must be removed from the plan or you, and all those who created this plan are in violation of your oath of office. (No disrespect intended. That is simply the truth.) • Electric Vehicles (EV): They want to put charging stations around Big Island for EV which will have more impact on the already impacted grid. How this is being considered disturbs me greatly. There are already power-shortages on the island. This would hinder it even more. Plus, as I've stated in my previous email, EV's are dangerous. Here is a quote from a firefighter. "The problem with EIVs is that the lithium-ion batteries can actually propagate a fire. In fact, they can actually encourage afire. If a fire has already started and you have lithium-ion batteries, they can ignite a lot more vigorously compared to any other cars, "said Captain Rahul Khanna, the Global Head of Marine Consulting at Allianz; he has 26 years' experience in the shipping and maritime industry and 14 years in various ranks on merchant ships. . Source: "Is It Safe To Ship Thousands Of Electric Cars On Big Ships?"by Mark Vaughn, May 10, 2022.h!Ws://www.autoweek.com/news/industry-news/a39951439/is-it-safe- to-ship-thousands-of-electric-cars-on-big-ships/ How will we remove these dangerous cars once they are retired? What about the cost to dispose of EV batteries once they are no longer in use? These batteries cannot simply be thrown away. They are toxic to the environment and people. Hawaii is an island. So will you ship these batteries off island or store them and their toxic waste on the island? They should not be allowed here. What happens if the grid goes down? How will people charge their EV? • Off Grid Living: This plan wants to work with the DOH around water catchment. The last thing locals want are more regulations and fines for off grid living. Not one person has died from unhealthy water catchment. This should be removed from the plan. Locals know how to take care of themselves. That is not the government's job. Please help stop government overreach. • Carbon: There is a section on the plan about reducing carbon. This should be removed.