Aloha!
I am writing as an active member of the Hawaii Democratic Party’s Environmental Caucus and a long time resident of the Hamakua district here on the Big Island.
First, I urge the State Department of Health to find that, in fact, Ho Honua’s underground injection control wells will be a point source for which a NPDES permit is required.
I further call for a hearing as per the law (HRS 91) to follow in such cases.
I, along with many residents on this island, have grave concerns about the impacts on the marine ecosystem as well as the air borne pollutants to be released as part of the current design.
I understand that a permit (#S000557) should be required for storm water run off. We need a hearing for that permit too! I would expect that in any case a reliable monitoring system must be a requirement over the long time frame of operations and believe it should be designed to be especially responsive during extreme weather events.
In an era where other, more truly ‘renewable’ and benign technologies are available, the risks associated with this retrograde project warrant the highest forms of scrutiny. And as a nod to the community’s concerns and the common sense need to invoke the ‘precautionary principle’, we recognize that your agency has a large responsibility to fulfill our expectations. So please do the right thing!
Respectfully,
Rob Culbertson
Paauilo, HI 96776
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