Pushed off the fence
I have property in Pepeekeo, not far from the Hu Honua power plant currently under construction. I have been sitting on the fence on this project. I want to enjoy the benefits of electric power in my home, but also would prefer not to have a power-generating facility so close to the property, especially one that will involve so many additional trucks on the road supplying biomass to the plant.
I am aware that there are many folks in the area who are dead against this project and who have taken multiple steps to slow down and/or totally stop completion of the project, but I sense that the majority of the neighbors in the area will accept the completion of the plant, albeit with some reservations — perhaps like me?
This week the Tribune-Herald announced details of an “information sharing” presentation by the owners of Hu Honua and the state Department of Health. As a “fence-sitter,” I attended the meeting hoping to learn more details about the project from the owners, and how the DOH manages the various permit processes. (Information is power!)
The presentations by Hu Honua were woefully short of any good information and indeed were very cagey about the quantities and nature of chemicals to be used during operation of the plant, leaving most attendees uncertain about the qualifications of the senior managers to operate the plant safely for the benefit of area residents and to protect the land and water impacted by the operation.
But the weakest presentation of all was by the various representatives of the DOH. Their answers to the not unreasonable concerns expressed by the numerous naysayers attending the meeting included the words “probably,” “maybe be,” “could be,” “we will issue the permit and then check on the monitoring later,” etc.
I walked into the meeting sitting on the fence but walked out as a definite no vote. I wish we would have heard better answers from Hu Honua, but the apparent absence of any public protection by the DOH pushed me off the fence.
Chris Tamm
Hilo
Back in the dump
Now that Big Island dumps are no longer accepting plastic containers — such as those pictured on the front page of the Tribune-Herald on Nov. 14 — once again these unwanted plastics will go right into the earth, exactly like what was happening for decades with plastics before “recycling” was a household word.
So, why not put these food products into the type of plastics that are currently recyclable, such as the ones used for holding milk, juice and other products? It might cost more money to do so, but aren’t the current eco-friendly cardboard-type food containers just as costly?
Well, back to the drawing board.
Rick LaMontagne
Hilo