• Is new landfill site a bad choice? • Favors shrimp farm petition • Mahalo for emergency kokua Is new landfill site a bad choice? Is the Ma‘alo site for the next landfill a bad choice? The Hawaiian word for
• Is new landfill site a bad choice? •
Favors shrimp farm petition • Mahalo for
emergency kokua
Is new landfill site a bad choice?
Is the Ma‘alo site for the next landfill a bad choice?
The Hawaiian word for “water” is “wai.” The Hawaiian word for “wealth” is “waiwai.” Unless we are mistaken, this roughly translates to mean that fresh water is the most precious resource. It is written that the people of old had kapu, sacred with the implication of forbidden, on certain activities upstream. In this way, clean wai was available for farming, making medicines and drinking.
How could a rational person, with a Hawaiian heart and a scientific mind, think of locating a landfill upstream in the vicinity of surface drinking water? Where is the wisdom in that? What are the implications that the state is holding the land that was ceded by Queen Kamalu?
What will be the cost to future county engineers to bring fresh water to the people of Hanama‘ulu, Kapaia, Lihu‘e and lower Wailua?
How many years and how many big rains until the surface water is polluted? How many generations until the ground water is poisoned?
What will be the agricultural costs? It is said that the area proposed is arguably the best farmland in the ahupua‘a, land division. How much food, for how many generations, could be grown on that 160 acres? How many jobs and for how many generations could work that land? If there is a landfill, how soon will the land and the water be poisoned?
Strangely, in studying the location site map that the county prepared in the Powerpoint presentation, available online, the reservoirs are not shown. Does this implicate the county engineers in condoning a site they know will pollute the surface water supply in the short term, and the ground water in the long term? Does this put the county and the future taxpayer at risk of a major class-action lawsuit for polluting the fresh water of future generations? Will the environmental assessment (EA) answer any of these questions?
Will any journalists? Or as stated in the last GI article on the subject, will the EA be geared to see if there are any environmental justice criteria to be met?
David and Nina Monasevitch, Lihu‘e
Favors shrimp farm petition
My name is Robert B. Ray. My wife and I have lived in Bayview, Po‘ipu, for the past seven years. Our mailing address is 2268 Loke Road, Koloa, 96756.
I support the petition of Sunrise Capital Shrimp Farm of Kekaha, Kaua‘i, to renew the Heath Department permit for treatment of process water and discharge of waterborne waste into the Pacific Ocean within the coastal jurisdiction of the State of Hawai‘i.
As I understand the documents and commentary in this case, the petitioner already complies with the terms of the previous permit and undertakes to comply in the future with additional terms of the proposed permit. The new terms include more-stringent treatment standards and use of waterborne nutrients in the waste to feed shellfish and finfish downstream of the shrimp ponds. These clams, oysters, and reef fish would be harvested and added to locally grown sustainable harvest for human food. Most of this shellfish and finfish would be sold in the local Kaua‘i market. A smaller amount would be marketed in the rest of the state. The smallest part is intended for the Mainland market.
As I understand the comments, the main questions are: What is best practice in this case? What is perfect practice? From the facts available to me, I conclude that petitioner proposes to use the best practices to reduce pollution and to recycle nutrients to make sustainable aquaculture. My understanding of the comments in this case leads me to conclude that the perfect is the enemy of the good. Should neither fresh water, nor brackish water, nor ocean water be discharged into the ocean? Should only distilled water be discharged? And then only beyond the reef at temperatures which do not increase global warming? I suggest that the jurisdiction of the Board of Health extends only to requiring best practices, not perfect practices.
I ask that this document be inserted into the record of the 23 November hearing at Waimea Theater. I further ask that petitioner’s permit be granted for the duration of the period requested.
Robert B. Ray, Po‘ipu
Mahalo for emergency kokua
November 8, 2010 on Monday at approx. 2000 hrs. I reached home from a trip to Lihu‘e after shopping with my wife. I received a phone call from my dad’s wife. She wanted me to pick up my dad and rush him to KVMH because of some complications he was having.
To make a long story short, before I could step out the door my wife heard on my scanner that a 911 call had been placed to respond to my dad’s home in Kaumakani village. Upon arriving at my dad’s I found that Hanapepe Fire Department where already there and working on my dad. Then shortly the Koloa EMT arrived to take my dad to KVMH.
On behalf of the family I’d like to thank Capt. Bill Quinlan and his Hanapepe fire crew for their quick response and taking care of my dad (checking his blood pressure, etc.) in such condition (bumpy and narrow road) that they had to travel to get to my dad’s home.
Also, I would like to thank Koloa EMT for traveling several miles to take my dad to KVMH.
Also want to thank the KVMH ER, OR, an ICCU staff for the quick response and caring for my dad. If it wasn’t for their quick action and professionalism my dad wouldn’t have been with us today. KVMH, “no ka oi from the Westside!”
Many much mahalos to all the professionals (KFD, Koloa EMT, and KVMH (ER doctors and all nurses). Thank you, thank you!
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
