Malu 'Aina

Calling All Hawai`i Island Water Protectors!
Email Your Testimony NOW for Bill 65!
HERE: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov

The Hawai`i County Council will hear Bill 65 in committee on Tues. Sept. 19th at 10:30am in the Council Chambers of the West Hawai`i Civic Center.
It’s BEST to TESTIFY IN PERSON in Kona, but people can also testify via video conference from Hilo, Waimea, Kohala, Naalehu and Pahoa sites on Tues. 9/19 at 10:30am.

AGRICULTURE, WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

We thank the Dept. of Water Supply for agreeing that there will be no more basal aquifer wells, public or private, in the thin lens just above sea level, which feeds our fishponds, pools and reef…
But this plan does not go far enough.

Changes we are strongly requesting:
The plan says that they will now rely on existing and new high level / mauka wells. These are the same wells that keep failing and have falling water levels. They have a terrible track record – ten years ago four wells went out at once and there were mandatory restrictions – our current crisis is not a “100 year storm”. The DWS needs to be accountable, show us that you can do it now, let alone expand on these wells.

We need meaningful conservation measures that are measurable and enforceable. How will they also apply this to private users? For example, the Kohanaiki golf course – they are saying they are sustainable using brackish water from 8 wells, pumping 650,000 gallons per day… which is 5% of Keauhou pumpage.

We need meaningful community input in this planning process right now and in the future. The plan has one paragraph that says they ‘might’ hold public meetings in the future.

There needs to be a systematic identification and preservation of impacted natural/cultural resources.
The Aha Moku does not have power to enforce or carry out assessments and there are plenty of kupuna out there who are more knowledgeable – and cultural practitioners who are truly cultural practitioners that know the coastal resources that are impacted.
We want them included in the planning process.

The Water use development plan assumes a steady state recharge of the aquifer, however the 2011 USGS ( US geological Survey )assessment showed a 50% variation in recharge rate between wet and dry years. Most climate models show a drying trend in the future for Kona. This plan needs to plan for a drier future.
We Need a sustainable and practical plan for our future – and the public fully expects to be a part of the planning process.

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*Bill 65 refers to the Hawai’i County Water Use Management and Development Plan amendments to the Keauhou Aquifer System.

The process for adoption will take at least 3 hearings.

For any Bill to pass, it requires a committee level hearing or hearings and then 2 more council hearings. The process for adoption will take at least 3 hearings. (If the discussion leads to the need for even more additional hearings, for instance, if there is a postponement for making amendments or getting additional information, that is also a possibility.

Council Member, Karen Eoff, has said they will definitely have hearings on this in the Kona Chambers for any final decision-making.

> Here is a link to Bill 65 – the Updated Water Use and Management Plan: ~ IT IS NOT AN “ERROR” page.

http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/WebLink/DocView.aspx…

*You can read or download the PDF version of Bill 65.
The Bill is just 2 pages, but the report is 80 pages and can be found at the same link – but – you have to scroll way down the page to see it.

Your comments are important to this discussion.
Email Your Testimony HERE: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov

Hawai`i County Council:

Valerie T. Poindexter
Phone: (808) 961-8018
Fax: (808) 961-8912
Email: valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov

Aaron Chung
Phone: (808) 961-8272
Fax: (808) 961-8912
Email: aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov

Susan “Sue” L. K. Lee Loy
Phone: (808) 961-8396
Fax: (808) 961-8912
Email: sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov

Eileen O’Hara, Ph.D.
Phone: (808) 965-2712
Fax: (808) 965-2707
Email: eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov

Jen Ruggles
Phone: (808) 961-8263
Fax: (808) 961-8912
Email: jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov

Maile Medeiros David
Phone: (808) 323-4277
Fax: (808) 329-4786
Email: maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov

Dru Mamo Kanuha
Phone: (808) 323-4267
Fax: (808) 329-4786
Email: dru.kanuha@hawaiicounty.gov

Karen Eoff
Phone: (808) 323-4280
Fax: (808) 329-4786
Email: karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov

Herbert M. “Tim” Richards III, DVM
Phone: (808) 961-8564 (Hilo)
Fax: (808) 961-8912
Email: tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov