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Category: News
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Plant Workers Whisteblow on Hū Honua’s Unethical Coverup of Chemical Spills
Background Several members of the iron workers union made a surprise appearance at a Nov. 14 Dept. of Health hearing on whether to issue wastewater discharge permits to Hu Honua Bioenergy on the Hamakua coast. At the hearing, the iron workers said that an enormous amount (around 60,000 gallons) of a dark green chemical has…
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Clear-Cutting Eucalyptus Trees in Hāmākua and Kaʻū Will Exacerbate Wildfire Problems
From wildland fire expert and Hāmākua resident, Pablo Akira Beimler: Clear-cutting eucalyptus forests will not eliminate Hāmākua and Kaʻū’s wildfire situation…it can actually make it much worse. This is something I have heard over and over again from foresters that I work with — I have been in the wildland fire management and outreach field…
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Foresters speak about what to do with the trees
JB Friday, Extension Forester over at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, has given advice about forestry options for these plantation crops when they first began planting in the 90s. I was able to speak with him via phone Friday with regards to these large Eucalyptus plantations and here’s my notes from that…
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Close to 30 Toxic Chemicals Will Be Pumped into Our Aquifers
This is a partial list of the hazardous chemicals that will be pumped into our aquifers. Not only are these chemicals hazardous on their own, the cocktail effect, or mixing of these various chemicals, will create unknown dangerous impacts to our coastlines and the people whose livelihoods rely on them. * Sulfamic Acid (product name:…
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Response of Hawaiian and other Indo-Pacific reef corals to elevated temperature
The Hū Honua plant is discharging warm water into the ocean without cooling, which will have detrimental impacts on sensitive reef systems in Hāmākua. “Bleaching can be induced by short-term exposure (i.e. 1–2 days) at temperature elevations of 3°C to 4°C above normal summer ambient or by long-term exposure (i.e. several weeks) at elevations of…
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The Unstable Cliffs of Hāmākua are No Place for a Project Like Hū Honua Bioenergy
“Cliffs along the Hāmākua coast are subject to failure and pose a major challenge for development. The Hāmākua cliffs are unstable primarily because they consist of soil and clay. In addition to the potential harm cliff failures pose humans and property, they also cause long-term harm to the shoreline habitat and nearshore waters: Read More and View Photos
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Endangered Hawksbill Turtle at Risk from Proposed Power Plant Effluent
“Around 2000, Hawaii Wildlife Fund and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) did some satellite tracking studies of endangered female hawksbill turtles. Most of the females were found to live (and of course forage) along the Hamakua coast. So, this coast is a critically important feeding area for this endangered species. Potential impacts of this…
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Hurricane Lane Landslides Caused by Hū Honua Bioenergy Plant
Post-Hurricane Lane, landslides next to the Hū Honua Bioenergy Plant have smothered the coastline with debris.