Malu 'Aina

Below is a press release by Puna Pono Alliance on Act 97 related to Geothermal development and a letter from Harry Kim on Act 97.  Please share with others.  Mahalo.

Jim

Aloha

Press release…..FYI for immediate release

Puna Pono Alliance has reached out around the state and to the Puna community to support repeal of act 97. In response Brenda Ford has introduced a resolution to repeal act 97 and asking the other Hawaii state county councils to do the same. Russel Ruderman, and Faye Hanohano are leading the effort to repeal act 97 at the state level as well. Harry Kim has been the leading critic of act 97,has traveled to Honolulu, twice, Maui once and Moloka’i once. Harry will be addressing the council in Hilo this Wednesday at 9:00am on the issue. Puna Pono Alliance is expecting a large number of residents to turn out in  Pahoa as well as some in Hilo, and Kona.

Many groups are circulating calls for support of Harry Kim, Puna Pono Alliance, and Brenda Fords resolution to repeal act 97, in the community. Should be quite a show in Pahoa, in particular with musicians and dancers, coming to the council office in Malama Market Center.

Harry Kim has also written an editorial on the subject (see attachment) please feel free to publish it. For more information on Harry’s letter or the action at the county council this Wednesday call:

Robert Petricci
936-5239

An Act that Should Not Be by Harry Kim, former Hawaii County Mayor

This letter is written to you because of my very strong feelings on a law that was passed in 2012 that should not be, because of its impact on our island environment and people’s desired lifestyle.

This is not about taking positions for or against geothermal development and the need to seek sensible alternate energy sources. This is about Act 97, that was passed without people’s awareness of what was proposed, and took away decades of land use planning intended to assure use of land is compatible with people’s desired lifestyles. This Act removed the County government authority to regulate development, and removed community opportunity for input to evaluate possible social, environmental, and scientific issues.

I do not have enough space here to fully cover the implications of Act 97, but I will cover them in brief.

What does Act 97 do?

• Allows geothermal exploration and development in all state land use categories: conservation, urban, rural, and agricultural (including ceded lands).
• Eliminates the County government’s approval and review process over geothermal development. With this goes the permit process and people’s opportunity for meaningful input.
• Allows geothermal power plants to be built anywhere in agricultural and rural districts without a county land use permit or public hearing because it is a right by law.
• Entirely eliminates geothermal subzones, which were created in 1983. Subzones were established where geothermal could be developed based on specific guidelines set by law.
  • Consideration had to be given that the development would not have unreasonable adverse health, environmental, or socio-economic effects on residents or surrounding property;
  • Subzones were to situate geothermal development in areas of the lowest potential environmental impact.

Act 97 initially included provisions to remove all Chapter 343 (EIS and EA) requirements for geothermal, but supporters were persuaded to instead channel that exemption request to the proper authority, the Environmental Council of the Department of Health. Fortunately, that exemption attempt failed at the last minute in May 2012. My concern is that this will be attempted again.

This is not just a Puna issue, as Senate Resolution 25 directed the controversial Public Land Development Corporation to identify areas on the island of Maui and the island of Hawaii for potential geothermal sites.

At this time, some of our state and county legislators have introduced measures to repeal Act 97. They need your support please. You can do this by contacting all state legislators and county council members and voicing your support for the repeal of this Act. There are attempts at this time by some members of the state legislature to “fix” this Act. The focus on amending it has been directed toward the “home rule” issue but no attention on the most important element: the subzone issue. This Act cannot be fixed. It must be repealed.

It is my opinion that Act 97 violates every sense of integrity, of fairness and a trust to just do what is right. A line must be drawn to say “Stop,” and we must refocus on our responsibilities for social, environmental and spiritual care.

Aloha Peace Ohana.

Below is a message from Kerri Marks.  She and her husband Dan, and family, are having a New Year’s eve pot luck party at their home and has asked me to extend an invitation to our broader ohana.  Kerri and Dan have been a great help in many of the important issues for justice and peace.  They have been especially good at documenting and putting on facebook/youtube videos and keeping a calendar of upcoming events.
Whether or not you can make the party, blessings for justice and peace to all in the New year and a special mahalo to Kerri and Dan.
Jim
Jim Albertini Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Ola’a (Kurtistown) Hawai’i 96760 Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org www.malu-aina.org

We are having a New Year’s Eve party and would like to invite you and your whole Malu Aina clan. Pot luck gathering starting 6ish at my house in Kaumana City. The address is 25-180 Pukana La Street. Please invite anyone and everyone. The whole 99% is invited, so really, tell EVERYONE
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Geothermal update 12/5/12……..Just a quick update…….

You did it!!! Bill 292 that bans drilling from 7pm to 7am is now the law…..

Bill 292 the geothermal nighttime drilling ban is now law…..Not sure if the mayor signed it or let it become law without his signature but we hear from staff that it will pass…..Congratulations Puna and to the hundreds of people that turned out….Grass roots activism can work when we work together….Mahalo to the many people that helped us, the hundreds that came to the meetings, and or wrote and called the mayor, it made the difference………Please do call the mayor again or e-mail him and thank him for listening….

Dominic Yagong, who introduced the bill for us, called me to tell me Suzanne Wakelin was the one person more than any other, that helped him decide the council had to do this because no one else was going to do it…..It shows one person “can” make a difference…..Mahalo Suzzane and Dominic Yagong…

Also please remember to thank Brenda Ford, Brittney Smart, Angel Pilago, and Pete Hoffman, all of who really listened to and supported Puna. I have to say even Fred Blas and Jay Yoshimoto voted for 292. Mahalo to them all for putting the welfare, health, and safety, of the surrounding community before the profits of geothermal…

Of course this is not the end of the “big project” or their industrial plans, not yet, but it is a significant win for us “the community” – good job.

Puna Pono Alliance will be back tomorrow at the windward planning commission at 1:30pm fighting for the health study, if anyone wants to show up, that meeting will be in the Aupuni Center building, in the conference room on the Hamakua end of the building at the corner of Aupuni st and Pauahi Street, in Hilo

….I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday……..Thank you all…..

The meeting at the Akebono was awesome, I can not tell you how much I love living in Puna. It really is a very special place that is worth fighting for. It is amazing to see the community coming together and taking control of “our” future…..

Bob

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?PunaPonoAlliance/4dcdff8337/ae61929e85/4916475afb