07-06-2024, 09:31 PM
(07-06-2024, 05:07 PM)ironyak Wrote: What did happen to the Puna Geothermal Committee / how'd that affect things today?
Interestingly I don’t think PGC (Puna Geothermal Committee) had as much of an effect on things as we’d like to think we did. When we won our lawsuit against State and Campbell Estates in response to the initial exploration permit which was issued for a track of land in which the Puu Oo eruption started within a week of the permit being granted, we thought we were the victors, but in fact, in hindsight, it’s apparent to me Pele was the real force at play.
PGC was a small group but we were able to get the Volcano Community Association, the NPS, and the Sierra Club to join in our suit, and with witnesses from both Fish and Wildlife and the USGS we were successful in keeping the planned development that was intended to be built within a thousand feet of Thurston Lava Tube, and would have turned the Volcano community into a heavy industrial center, from happening. The proposed main road into the geothermal complex was through Mauna Loa subdivision. But besides our success in the courts the initial permit was placed on hold as long as the eruption in the permitted area was ongoing, and we all know now that eruption continued on and off for more than 30 years. Btw, geochem, a long time poster here who hasn't been by in a few years, was the star witness for the developers in that case.
When we filed our suit we were represented by two lawyers. One of our own founding members, Wendell Ing, and a mucky muck lawyer from Honolulu, Kenneth Kupchak*, who joined us offing his services pro bono. I never trusted Ken, although he brought a sense of having the big guns from Honolulu we didn’t feel we had in Volcano. And, of all the twists and turns back in those days I believe it was Ken's proposal of the initial land swap between the upper Kahauale’a track and the middle rift track that eventually became Wao Kele o Puna, that had the most consequence.
Ken, as I said, brought a level of credibility we needed, but when he proposed the land swap it was obvious he wasn't working for us. Campbell was already making plans along that line, and with their lease to clearcut the forest on the southern flank of the volcano in that area (at the end of the Upper Puna rd - that runs southwest from the upper part of Black Sands), it was clear they were developing the infrastructure they intended to use to further their plans in the Middle Rift. So when the swap was proposed, and it sounded right.. hey don't do it in Volcano's biologically richer forest but ok move down rift to the already more invaded by alien species Middle Rift.. everyone rallied behind it..
So, yeah, the biggest consequence, the most impact we ended up having, was to push the problem down hill. Although, had we done nothing, and as long as Pele kept erupting, folks were likely going to follow that course no matter.
The other outcome of PGC was Russell Kokubun’s political ascension, which in hindsight probably doesn’t add up to much either. Although Russell, who at the time was a cucumber farmer and another founder of PGC, did make a political career out of his initial involvement with our group. After we won our case in the courts Russell came to us and suggested we apply what funds we still had towards getting him elected to the County Council, promising to, once elected, work for our cause. So, in essence, PGC became Russell’s campaign committee. Although when he was elected he turned to us and asked for time to adjust, saying he was a junior councilman and didn’t want to rock the boat and all that. And when he went on to become a state senator he became more a middle of the road kind of guy, and seemed to forget the folks that put him in office in the first place.
And, oh btw, in the long winding road of all that one other event stands out as being of consequence in nudging things to the eventual development by Ormat (keeping in mind this all happened long before all the humbug in he Middle East Rift and True Geothermal’s failures there), when the land swap was finally consummated and Kahauale’a was officially set aside as a preserve, the eruptions at Puu Oo stopped and migrated, following the developers, down to Kupaianaha..
* Kenneth Kupchak went on to become the attorney for the investors, who eventually lost in their proposal to commercially develop Sandy Beach on Oahu.