PGV plans new well

[ironyak]

So, thoughts on a notification system or specific Emergency Response Plan being in place before drilling begins later this month? The copy of the response plan required to be available at the Pahoa Library is from 2011, pre-dating the Bill 257 override meeting.

Isn't a health study in everyone interests to untangle possible environmental exposures from possible pollutants from PGV (both from normal operations and upset events)?

Next steps?

[Guest]

The neighbor against neighbor mentality really is getting bad here in Leilani, all steamed or caused from Geothermal concerns. A one mile buffer zone has been proposed as an idea. Some think this would be a good start in protecting the nearest communities health and quality of living. While others strongly disagree with this because of the property value and home value impacts. After seeing signatures and testimony from both sides, it saddens me to see neighbors health and safety concerns ignored or refused by their very own neighbors who want to continue to rent out their bed and breakfast at a rate that pays the mortgage.
When the board and its leading folks in charge of the leilani community association form oppositions against those who are being affected by the geothermal power plant it can't be helping the people who may need it.
For every NIMBY that lives in leilani that says the geothermal gassed them, their is a fulltime hard working Hawaiian who will say the geothermal absolutely is not affecting him or his family. JMOpinion here but its a Sad situation growing worse living so close to an ORMAT owned Geothermal electrical power plant.

[ironyak]

Sorry to hear this gypsy. Figured discussions must be going on behind the scenes and can see how difficult they must be.

Has there been any thoughts on having some additional oversight or monitoring for H2S or noise during the upcoming drilling? Either community based or perhaps an outside agency like the CDC or EPA?

[Justin]

I have a question regarding gas measurements. How would the County (or Ormat, or whomever) accurately measure the chemicals near the plant without that reading being influenced from the "normal" air that exists because of the nearby active volcano. In other words, if there are 100 ppm of SO2 1 mile from the plant, is that because of the plant or because of Kilauea? It would seem you'd need measurements at a number of various places between Pu'u O'o and the plant to try to distinguish the confounding variables.

[leilanidude]

That's the question all right, and since the plant itself does not on any sort of normal basis, output/release any gases at all, then isn't all of the background gas issue really from the volcano?

[Obie]

With 100's of thousands being spent on health studies and impact studies I would have thought the first study should have been a survey to map the natural emissions in the area.

A good place to start would be near the Steam Vents.This steam comes from the same geothermal resource that PGV uses to generate electricity.

When I first bought down in Kapoho there were several steam vents in the area including one in my back yard.I guess the rotten egg smell wasn't harmful because it was natural.

[Jay Bondesen]

I live in Leilani as well and oddly this is the first I have heard about a bad neighbor against neighbor mentality. I do know that the board, along with many in the community, worked hard to get a health study started. A study of current conditions to try and answer as many questions as possible.
I watched an interview with Cass Sunstein, an author who just published - Wiser: Getting beyond Group Think. In it he shows the results of getting groups of people together to discuss serious topics. He gathered people from a liberal community and another from a conservative community and asked them the same questions. It turned out that both groups will tend to become more extreme, moving further to the left or to the right, because their opinions are reinforced by only listening to those who share their views. It's always better to keep an open mind, keep looking for answers rather than thinking you know them. Just a thought.

Jay

[Guest]

Unfortunately i dont know much about how Geothermal works being Puna educated and all. I have through grown up here fearing it. Someone who may be able to answer many of our questions regarding geothermal in Puna for the past 50 years and that has a clean record or reputation around these parts would be a woman named Mililani Trask. I understand she was once against geothermal and now through many self educated hours has changed her mind, feelings or beliefs. She is rare for most I personally know have started out in favor of geo that then through personal experience change their minds and find themselves against future geo. Anyway I find it interesting when people change their minds about some things they were completely for or against.

Does anyone know how long our Puna geothermal plant has been a closed-loop system? Or why Hawaii would need such an expensive use of technology to get steam from the ground? Why does geothermal want to spend extra money on chrome casings what are these? Are they more important than say a sound barrier or health study?

[Opihikaobob]

quote:

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Originally posted by leilanidude

That's the question all right, and since the plant itself does not on any sort of normal basis, output/release any gases at all, then isn't all of the background gas issue really from the volcano?

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Their is nothing normal about PGV - it excels in deception, and you obviously have a very close relationship with them.

[PunaMauka2]

i think the only obvious thing is your habitual paranoia, Bob.