Geothermal Public Health Assessment

[jerry]

A very interesting report is available here:

http://www.accord3.com/docs/FNDNGS%20AND%20RECS.pdf

Jerry
Art and Orchids B&B
http://www.artandorchids.com

[rainyjim]

Very informative thank you Jerry.

Also a special thanks to Rene, Jay, and Bob for putting your time into this! I value your efforts. (Also thanks to the others who I may not have mentioned, perhaps they use a nom de plume.

My, albeit limited, interpretation of the 2013 report is that we need more monitoring equipment and more funding to conduct additional scientific health studies.

I agree. + 1
So...get the funds for us Billy.

[peteadams]

The main takeaway I got from the report is that we don't know much about health effects, whatever they may or may not be, based on any substantial evidence. For instance, about the much cited Goddard and Goddard Engineering study they say

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Based on Goddard & Goddard's modeling analysis of emission concentrations of the 1991 blow-out as well as subsequent volunteered reports and medical diagnoses of symptoms, the Study Group concludes there is evidence that there were health effects from the exposures early in the development of geothermal (before 1993).

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But then they go to say, effectively, "we know nothing":

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The full extent and severity of those effects has not been documented.

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So not only do we know there is no substantial documentation of harm, it turns out that the Goddard analysis was

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based on surveys conducted by Big Island Rain Forest Action Group, the Kapoho Community Association, and community member Colleen Mandala

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Not exactly a controlled survey or disinterested organizations. Characteristic of the type of conclusions the report includes is

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While hypothetical, a factor of 100 could be applied to past exposures to estimate worst-case peak short-term exposures.

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Completely hypothetical and scary, but the x100 speculation was treated as if it was numerically factual in the subsequent discussion.

A large part of the report elaborates extensively on both documented and speculative effects of H2S, but there is next to nothing on any evidence on harm. The bulk of any indication of harm is associated with the 1991 blowout. Nonetheless, over 20 years later

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Since the blowout, DOH has recorded six incidents when permitted H2S limits were exceeded by PGV

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There were also 70 incidents ("upset conditions"), 28 of which were on the level of courtesy notices to DOH. One additional citing for exceeding the .025 ppm H2S limit. Some of the report was taken up with generic overviews of the health of people in Puna with enumerations of various maladies suffered here. No explicit attempt, thankfully, was made to tie geothermal issues to the general incidence of these maladies. But the implication was clear.

Finally, while it was good to see a number of professional/UH people involved in the report, inclusion of notorious anti-geothermal personalities (who, according to the report, have apparently made money from lawsuit settlements with PGV) makes one wonder how much the tone and thrust of the report was influenced by attitude and ideology rather than fact. But given the scarcity of evidence, the report's major contribution is its theme that real research is needed, rather than depending on the cloud of speculation currently available about any current geothermal health effects in Puna.

[Jay Bondesen]

Thanks for posting this Jerry. I’ll add a comment or two and bring it back up on the page.
It has been quite a process working on this with this group of people. Some arrived wanting to help, some came with questions, and a few showed up having all of the answers. It’s not clear what the mayor will do with our recommendations but he will hear what they end up being and who in the district agrees with them. One group simply wants no development at all and will use every argument available to stop it. Another group appreciates using our geothermal resources to replace burning something to create electricity. Most of us want to live comfortably and safely so both using and producing electricity are key factors.
We can acknowledge that accidents at the geothermal plant, mostly long ago, had a negative environmental impact. Yet we don’t really understand what the day to day health risks are right now. So how do you compare it to the intensive farming close by, or the climate, or the vog, or the pollen and spores in the air? The previous research hasn’t given us a full enough accounting of causation.
The report will be pretty widely read and it will have an impact on the geothermal industry and the County regardless of whether or not it is fully implemented. It would be a really good thing for more people to add their own thoughts to the conversation. Help chose a reasonable way to live out here on this rock.


Jay

[Obie]

The group that is most opposed to geothermal has conducted their own health study.
You can access it here.

http://punapono.com/index.php/health

The test results using testing machines that the doctor invented, show that the group of people from Hilo were suffering more abnormalities than the people from lower Puna near PGV.

How can this be true ???

[pahoated]

The anti-geothermal group is a small cluster around Pahoa that has managed to get local political attention and capitalize on it. Their two demands, which they have reached the point of hysteria on, was that a health study be conducted, at county expense, and that more monitoring be done, at county expense, which the county has now bought several portable monitors and some expensive and overly precise reference standards. The county and Kenoi have now satisfied those demands from the obstructionists, so they can't keep whining about that anymore. The report was very general and didn't address psychosomatic disease where people can think and talk themselves sick, which appears to account for a good percentage of the health problems claimed.

"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"

[pahoated]

PGV going from 30MW to 38MW is now resulting in the retirement of the Shipman park oil burning electric plant. That is going to result in thousands of barrels of imported foreign oil per year not being burned, and thousands of pounds of sulfur dioxide per year not going into air above our heads. The magnitude of the destruction from burning oil should make tiny geothermal emissions pale in comparison.

This is a recent video of the North Pole turning into a lake over the summer months. This is from global warming and almost entirely from burning oil in one form or another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nFXYRwXHw4#at=11
"North Pole" Webcam: 30 Days from Ice to Lake

"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"

[rainyjim]

Ted, do you know if that means they'll be demolishing the site? I'm not a big fan of that 'smoke stack scenery'

[pahoated]

The Puna oil burning electric plant is the one with the smokestacks visible from Hwy 130. It produces over 30MW so it will be awhile before that ever gets deactivated and it will always be there as backup. The Shipman plant isn't visible from the road but it is slated for teardown in 2015 and 2016. Looks like the biggest cost is going to be cleaning up all the contamination.

http://www.hawaiianelectric.com/vcmconte...ter-21.pdf
On page 21-4: 1.A Decommision of Shipman 3&4
"To safely decommission Shipman 3 and 4 will require the removal
of hazardous materials from the plant. These are typically asbestos, lead, oilsetc. Materials will be recycled if practical."

Shipman was producing 15MW. The 8MW additional from PGV which is allowing Shipman to be retired was negotiated for a non-ACC rate, about 10 cents per kw-hr (and about 1/4 of the standard rate being charged right now). It's possible that a significant share of those that were serviced by the Shipman plant will get non-ACC rates from PGV, which would be in or around Shipman park. There has been a lot of background movement for development in south Hilo into the Kea'au area. It seems very possible development in that area will get non-ACC rates at the geothermal industry standard of 10 cents per kw-hr, as a growth stimulus. Totally speculation but it seems there are indicators that is what is going on.

"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"

[kalakoa]

quote:

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Originally posted by pahoated

Shipman was producing 15MW. The 8MW additional from PGV which is allowing Shipman to be retired

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This would definitely explain the new HV "connector" at the top of Ainaloa, which would allow Hawaiian Acres to be fed from PGV instead of Keaau.