Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 21, 2013

In a document published by the Public Utilities Commission Tuesday, Hawai`i County asks HELCO and HECO for more information about feedstocks `Aina Koa Pono plans to use to create biofuel at a refinery above Pahala.
Photo from ainakoapono.com

POLICE HAVE NABBED A SUSPECT in the recent series of Ka`u Coffee thefts. According to various coffee farmers, police visited coffee mills in Kona and found a receipt showing sales of Ka`u Coffee to the Kona mill by a person unrelated to a coffee farm. Mills are required to show receipts to confirm the source of their coffee under Hawai`i law. Such receipts or other documents are also required of people transporting coffee from place to place around the island. The cooperation of the mills and those selling coffee to retailers and at farmers markets will help cut down the thievery, said County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth. Roth met with farmers and ranchers earlier this month following a string of thefts from coffee fields and coffee mills in Ka`u. The suspect has a criminal history with jail time and is suspected of having several accomplices still at large.
      In multiple incidents, thousands of pounds of coffee were stolen from Ka`u Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road – from the drying pad. Thousands of pounds of coffee were also stolen from Aikane Plantation Coffee Co. on the old cane haul road between Pahala and Na`alehu.
      Farmers, including international coffee award winner Lorie Obra, said that coffee was stripped from the trees on her farm.
      With the coffee berry borer heavily damaging Kona coffee orchards, thieves have been stealing from Ka`u to sell to Kona, not only causing grief and economic damage to Ka`u coffee farmers but also tainting the branding when Ka`u Coffee is sold as Kona.
      Suggestions for dealing with the thieves have included increased security at all coffee farms and mills, dying the parchment with food dye to make it easy for buyers to recognize the origin, and heavier policing of wholesale and retail buying to prove coffee origins.
      Anyone with tips on coffee thieving can call Crimestoppers at 329-8181 or 961-8300.

Howard Dicus of Hawai`i News Now

TOURISM TO THE BIG ISLAND is soaring. According to Hawai`i News Now reporter Howard Dicus, the count is up 10.1 percent so far in February. Statewide, it has increased by more than 48,000 visitors, reaching a half million tourists in February.
      Dicus reports that tourism to the Big Island increased 8.2 percent this month over the same period as last year. Japanese visitors statewide increased 15.7 percent over the same period as last year.
      Earlier this month, Hawai`i Tourism Authority predicted that the total airline seat capacity in Hawai`i is expected to increase 6.8 percent in 2013 over last year. Double-digit growth is expected out of the U.S. East, Japan, Other Asia (South Korea, China and Taiwan) and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) regions.
      Contributing to the growth will be additional new routes from the U.S. and Asia-Pacific regions to the Hawaiian Islands from Boise, Spokane, San Diego, Taiwan, New Zealand and Tokyo-Narita commencing in the first half of the year.
      “The success of our visitor industry has a direct correlation with the increased airlift, and we are committed to ensuring that we maintain a strong inventory of air seats to support our industry and our state’s economy,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of HTA. “Hawai`i lost 1.5 million air seats within two years following the closure of Aloha and ATA airlines and the economic downturn. Through our efforts and collaboration with our industry partners, it has taken us more than three years to gain back more than two million air seats to our state,” said McCartney.

Sen. Brian Schatz

HAWAI`I’S U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION is back home during a recess, meeting with constituents and talking about the pending sequestration, which would cut $85 billion in federal spending across the board nationwide, if a compromise is not reached by March 1. 

      According to Sen. Brian Schatz, who said he would prefer that Congress kept working on the problem rather than take its current recess, sequestration could mean that 80 percent of all Department of Defense employees in the country could be furloughed starting in April, having a devastating impact on the Hawai`i economy.
      Said Shatz, sequestration “was designed not to happen…. It was supposed to be so awful for Republicans and Democrats and for the people of America that we would be forced to compromise, and that is what we’ve got to do…. It is avoidable, and it is unacceptable.” The new senator said, “We only have a little bit of time.” He called for a balanced approach with deficit reduction of $2 trillion through cutting some Department of Defense funding and domestic spending and through increased revenues through closing tax loopholes.
      “If we don’t do it, there will be severe consequences for real people,” said Schatz.

CONCERNING THE `AINA KOA PONO proposal, the Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday published responses to more questions asked by the state Consumer Advocate, Hawai`i County and Life of the Land. The questions concern the proposed contract for `Aina Koa Pono to annually sell, at a fixed price for 20 years, 16 million gallons of diesel that would be manufactured at a refinery off Wood Valley Road above Pahala. The fuel, produced in 27 microwave units, would be sold to Hawai`i Electric Light and Hawaiian Electric Companies, with most of it trucked up Hwy 11 to a power plant in Kona. Electric rates on O`ahu and the Big Island would increase.

      Hawai`i County asked about feedstocks that would be grown to create biofuel. “Please identify the specific feedstock(s) that AKP proposes to grow on the Island of Hawai`i. Assuming it is a grass, has this grass previously been cultivated as a commercial crop on the island? If not, have trial plots been grown at all? If so, then please describe the size, location, soil characteristics, altitude, ground slope, and actual rainfall at these plots. If there is no prior commercial experience with this grass, please describe the program to introduce this grass and to determine its optimal agronomics—including anticipated amounts of fertilizer, potential disease and insect pressure and how this will be managed, response to differing soils/altitudes/slopes/rainfall amounts. (Note that multi-year projects have been undertaken on the mainland to subsidize farmers as they gain experience with a new crop— switchgrass —including a recently complete four year project... which, by the way, has left farmers at a loss whether to continue growing switchgrass). Has the AKP/MicroDee process been tested on that particular biomass/feedstock (as different kinds of biomass can give very different results)?

      HELCO and HECO replied that, “According to AKP, specific feedstocks proposed by AKP consist of varieties currently under testing within the varietal selections found at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Hawai`i Agricultural Research Center, University of Hawai`i and from among local Hawai`i grasses. One specific grass variety that is a lead contender as an AKP feedstock was distributed over twelve years ago by UH throughout the Hawaiian Islands as an agricultural wind block for commercial farmers. This particular grass has proven itself to be robust, vigorous, and healthy without added fertilizers or much attention. Other varieties have been put into commercial production trial plots; for example, several are currently under observation at Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company. Trial plots continue to be propagated, monitored, and new trials are currently under design. Although one of the energy grasses AKP is considering has only been used in Hawai`i as an agricultural windbreak, the same grass variety is in commercial use in other regions of the world.

      “The specific grasses under consideration will be tested once the 33-ton-per-day unit is operational. However, several other wood species have been tested in the MicroDee process with satisfactory results.
      “The technical science of the MicroDee process is blind to the species and types of biomass. The specific volatiles content of each specific feedstock determines the potential for synthetic oil extraction. Knowing the volatile capacity of each feedstock allows an ability to understand the feedstock’s yield.”
      Ka`u News Briefs will cover more responses in the coming days.
      Complete responses to all questions are online at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-0185.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets today at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ field office in Pahala. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL SPAGHETTI DINNER raising funds for Ka`u Hospital’s emergency room takes place Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The event is sponsored every February by Red Hat Ladies of Ka`u and Ka Lae Quilters. Contributions are welcome. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN holds a talk story at Pahala Plantation House Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ruderman meets with constituents to discuss issues before the state Legislature. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 974-4000, ext. 66890.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 20, 2013

A thousand moths are being released in Kamuela today and could lead to fireweed control in Ka`u as well, where pastures are being devastated. Fireweed can look like a daisy patch but is poisonous to cattle.
Photo from hawaiianinvasivespecies.org

PUBLIC LAND DEVELOPMENT LAW was severely threatened yesterday by the state Senate with a unanimous vote and no discussion regarding scrapping the agency. The decision to rid the state of the Public Land Development Corp. that would allow private entities to partner with the state to develop public lands follows the state House of Representatives voting last week to get rid of the PLDC. The decision follows months of protests and promises during the campaigns of elected officials last fall to either radically change the law allowing the PLDC or to dissolve the agency altogether. West Ka`u’s Rep. Denny Coffman said he made a mistake voting for the PLDC last year. New East Ka`u Sen. Russell Ruderman campaigned on getting rid of the PLDC, as did West Ka`u Sen. Josh Green. East Ka`u Rep. Richard Onishi said he wanted the law to be rewritten to give more home rule or to be overturned.
      Final wording of the agreement to abolish the agency will be hammered out by the House and Senate. Another bill that is moving forward at the 2013 Legislature, however, would allow the state and developers to use public school lands for development.

Caterpillar that eats fireweed becomes the madagascar fireweed moth.
Photo from  state Department of Agriculture

MADAGASCAR FIREWEED MOTH, Secusio extensa, is being introduced today on the Big Island – a thousand to be released at first at Kahua Ranch in Kamuela. Fireweed is native of Madagascar and believed to have been imported by mistake from Australia in the 1980s. It is toxic to cattle, horses, and even goats and sheep, causing slow growth and liver problems The daisy like weed is fast spreading in Ka`u as well as other parts of the Big Island and Maui.        The state Department of Agriculture plans to release more than a million moths this year, hoping to hold back the infestation which has reached more than 850,000 acres. The moth controls fireweed when its caterpillar eats the invasive plant.

CONCERNING THE `AINA KOA PONO proposal, the Public Utilities Commission yesterday published responses to more questions asked by the state Consumer Advocate, Hawai`i County and Life of the Land. The questions concern the proposed contract for `Aina Koa Pono to annually sell, at a fixed price for 20 years, 16 million gallons of diesel that would be manufactured at a refinery off Wood Valley Road above Pahala. The fuel, produced in 27 microwave units, would be sold to Hawai`i Electric Light and Hawaiian Electric Companies, with most of it trucked up Hwy 11 to a power plant in Kona. It would mean higher electric bills on O`ahu and the Big Island.

      “Does the MicroDee process directly produce biodiesel following the microwave depolymerization step, or is the product pyrolysis oil that requires further upgrading to biodiesel?” asks Hawai`i County. “If the latter, then what is the composition of the pyrolysis oil (and variability in this composition based on the proposed feedstock or multiple anticipated feedstocks), what facilities will be required to upgrade the pyrolysis oil, will these facilities be on-site (and if not, where will upgrading be performed), and what will be the source of hydrogen to obtain the final biodiesel product? Could this product be called green diesel or simply renewable diesel? Have any additional transportation costs and raw material (especially hydrogen) costs been incorporated in the analysis?”
      HECO and HELCO responded, “According to `Aina Koa Pono-Ka`u, LLC, the MicroDee process produces a pyrolytic oil. An on-site scalable upgrade process will be provided to further process the pyrolytic oil to a synthetic renewable diesel. The source of hydrogen would be from a commercially available mobile skid unit or in industrial supply tanks.

      “According to AKP, the finished fuel is a synthetic renewable diesel; any additional transportation costs and raw material (including hydrogen) costs have been incorporated in their analysis.”
      Hawai`i County asked, “What are the predicted final overall economics? When electricity is finally made by the proposed process, is the net energy balance positive or negative, and is the total amount of petroleum input per kilowatt-hour more or less than if the electricity had been made by using the petroleum directly, or if the biomass were simply burned? Is there a potential that this project will potentially increase the Islands’ reliance on imported petroleum?”
      “According to AKP, the net energy balance will be positive,” the utilities replied. “When the feedstock is processed, biochar and biodiesel will be produced. The biochar will be used to generate electricity to power AKP’s facility while the biodiesel will be sold to HELCO and third parties. As a result, the total amount of petroleum input per kilowatt-hour will be lower than if electricity had been made by petroleum directly. The overall MicroDee process is far more efficient than simply burning biomass because it yields multiple products; biochar which can be used to power the AKP facility and biodiesel which can be used by HELCO at Keahole to generate electricity.
      “According to AKP, their project will not increase the island’s reliance on petroleum.’

      Life of the Land asked, “HECO/HELCO has told the Commission that both AKP1 and AKP2 are reasonable and in the public interest. How is that possible?”
      The utilities responded, “At the time the AKP1 Biodiesel Supply Contract was executed and filed with the Commission, the Companies’ believed that the AKP1 Biodiesel Supply Contract was reasonable and in the public interest over the twenty year term. The Consumer Advocate’s Statement of Position was also generally in agreement with the Companies’ position that the AKP1 Biodiesel Supply Contract was fair and reasonable. However, the Commission issued its Decision and Order in Docket No. 2011-0005 denying the AKP1 Biodiesel Supply Contract on Sept. 29, 2011. One of the main reasons for the denial was that the Commission concluded that the contract price was unreasonable and not in the public interest.
      “Since the denial of the AKP1 Biodiesel Supply Contract, a lower per gallon price of AKP biodiesel was agreed upon by both parties. Because of this, the Companies believe that the proposed AKP biodiesel price is reasonable and in the public interest.… The lower biodiesel price will amount to a lesser ratepayer impact over the twenty-year term. The proposed AKP Biodiesel Supply Contract is reasonable as a hedge against unpredictable fossil fuel prices and provide security of fuel supply through locally available resources.”

      Previously, Life of the Land had asked the utilities to provide all documentation that O`ahu lacks sufficient renewable energy resources to provide all of its renewable energy needs. The companies replied that they “have no documentation that, with certainty, either supports or refutes that ‘O`ahu lacks sufficient renewable energy resources to provide all of its renewable energy needs.’”
      Life of the Land then asked, “Will HECO/HELCO stop asserting that O`ahu is resource poor?”
      The companies replied, “O`ahu currently has the lowest renewable portfolio standard compared to the neighbor islands and, as explained in the Companies’ (earlier) response, the renewable technologies mentioned by LOL are either being developed, demonstrated (wave energy, OTEC and deep water offshore wind) or are not firm and dispatchable (wave energy, PV, offshore wind). At some time in the future, these renewable technologies may make the transition to a commercial state for installation on or about O`ahu. However, as LOL is aware, even if some of the as-available energy such as wave energy or offshore wind becomes commercially viable, this as-available energy is not a replacement for firm, dispatchable energy, which is needed in part to help the Companies provide firm and stable power to its customers.”
      Ka`u News Briefs will cover more responses in the coming days.
      Complete responses to all questions are online at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-0185.

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards field office in Pahala. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

PROCESS PAINTING - SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY is the topic at a workshop Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Patricia Hoban encourages participants to experiment, explore, discover and play. No previous art education or experience needed. $45/$40 for VAC members plus $5 supply fee. Advance registration is required at 967-8222. 

SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN holds a talk story at Pahala Plantation House Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ruderman meets with constituents to discuss issues before the state Legislature. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 974-4000, ext. 66890.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 19, 2013

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail will receive $275,000 to improve infrastructure and access.
Map from nps.gov.alka

ALA KAHAKAI NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL, which stretches along the entire coast of Ka`u as well as the entire west coast of Hawai`i Island, will receive $275,000 to improve infrastructure and access to the historic 175-mile trail, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced yesterday. Funds will be used to install road, parking, and trail signs and trail treatments to improve trail user safety, protect cultural and natural resources, and enhance visitor’s experiences while honoring Native Hawaiian culture and the environment, LaHood’s news release states.

Ala Kahakai crosses 175 miles of Hawai`i Island's
coast. Photo from nps.gov/alka

      “In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama called on us to upgrade our nation’s transportation infrastructure to help grow our economy and improve energy efficiency,” said LaHood. “Improving access to modern transit services throughout our scenic parklands and protected areas will help us to preserve these national treasures for future generations.”
      Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is administered by the National Park Service. According to the website, nps.gov/alka, the trail was established in 2000 “for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources.” It describes the trail as “full of cultural and historical significance” and says it “traverses through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and through over 200 ahupua`a.
      Ala Kahakai Trail Association is a private, nonprofit association established to provide community support to the planning and management of the trail. The association’s website states, “This shoreline trail is unique in that it is a model of community management and involvement, focusing on the preservation of Hawaiian culture and heritage as well as promoting environmental stewardship and education. It is more than a recreational trail – it is a path that joins the past to the present and the future.”
      The trail can be unofficially accessed through sections within the four National Parks on the Island of Hawai`i including Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park and Pu`ukohola National Historic Site
      The funding is part of $12.5 million in grants for 29 projects in 20 states to improve access to America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. The funds are provided through the Federal Transit Administration’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program.

Rep. Denny Coffman

MANY BILLS INTRODUCED BY INCUMBENT state Rep. Denny Coffman, whose district extends through West Ka`u, are making their way through the state Legislature. 

      House Bill 1133, which would repeal the Public Land Development Corp, has been sent to the Senate, where it passed its first reading. Coffman said he made a mistake earlier, voting for the legislation that gives private developers the opportunity to use state-owned land without oversight of the county.
      Several other bills introduced by Coffman have passed their first or second readings in the House.
      House Bill 17 would require maintenance of public beach access by adjacent landowners and would impose penalties for noncompliance. It would establish shoreline access as an objective of the coastal zone management program and require the state Department of Land & Natural Resources to provide written notice to affected property owners.
      HB 1256 would make the feed-in-tariff system more available to independent energy producers. The bill would incentivize “a class of, or classes of, eligible customer-generators who generate electricity and upon meeting utility requirements are compensated at current Public Utility Commission established tariff rates for electricity fed back to the electric grid.”
      HB 279 would establish a Food Safety Task Force within the Department of Agriculture to study and recommend methods to prepare for compliance with the federal Food Safety Modernization Act and food safety management practices within the state.
      House Bill 281 would provide funding for drought mitigation. The bill says, “The legislature finds that a viable agriculture industry requires a steady, reliable supply of water. However, drought conditions continue to adversely affect Hawai`i’s farms and ranches, hampering the state’s ability to produce quality products on a consistent bases throughout the year.” The justification for the bill says that drought committees were formed at the county level and that funding for the drought mitigation projects would be provided to the local government in each county.

Rep. Denny Coffman is seeking funding for coffee berry borer research.
Photo by Peggy Greb, USDA Ag Research Service  

      HB 353 would fund coffee berry borer research. It would underwrite a program at the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center to develop methods for the prevention and treatment of coffee berry borer infestation. Grants in aid would come from the state agriculture development and food security special fund.
      HB 358 would require both chambers of the Legislature to implement rules to permit residents to present testimony through audiovisual technology. It would provide funding to establish audiovisual systems throughout the state.
       House Bill 417 would provide $2.8 million to Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation to implement and sustain its primary care training program at the Hilo Medical Center. This program is expected to also provide physicians in Ka`u.
      House Bill 533 would establish a return-to-home program to assist eligible homeless individuals to return to their home states when there is a support network able to receive them and care for them. The bill would help finance the logistics and transportation.
      House Bill 540 requires the state employer-union health benefits trust fund to require all the health plans to give a break on co-payments to those employees and retirees who do not smoke. It also considers deductions for other risk lowering behavior.
      These and other bills can be tracked at capitol.hawaii.gov.

COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS TOMORROW at 9 a.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center. An item on the agenda calls for $200,000 in funding for improvements to the water supply at Kahuku Park that would provide sufficient water for drinking and irrigation and an auxiliary source of potable water in a disaster. The bill, introduced by Council member Brenda Ford, passed the Finance Committee unanimously at the committee’s last meeting.

Videoconferencing is available at Ocean View Community Center
during County Council meetings.

      Council agendas, along with information on how to submit testimony, can be viewed at http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-council-meeting.
      Ka`u residents can now participate in committee and Council meetings via videoconference at Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle. The system is available until 3 p.m. or later if public witness testimony has not been completed.
      For more information, call 961-8536 or edistrict6@co.hawaii.hi.us.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK host a winter fundraiser with wine tasting, pupus and artwork by Christina Skaggs at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel’s Wai`oli Lounge tomorrow from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wine tasting will include four specially selected wines with unlimited return visits to the wine bar. Another feature is an unlimited, open pupu buffet. The event includes live music, an optional raffle and silent auction as well as an art display and sale. Participants may choose wine tasting or pupu bar for $20 each or both for $40. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Friends group. Tickets are available at 985-7373 or admin@fhvnp.org.

ISLAND MUSIC SINGER/SONGWRITER Darryl Castillo performs tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Castillo’s two albums, Follow the Light and Son Crazy, both garnered Na Hoku Hanohano Award nominations for Best Inspirational Album. His CDs will be available for purchase. This Na Leo Manu – Heavenly Voices program is free, and park entrance fees apply.

FINAL PERFORMANCES of Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network’s production of the musical comedy Nunsense by Dan Goggin take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Kilauea Military Camp Theater. Nunsense begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, accidentally killed the other fifty-two residents of the convent with her tainted vichyssoise. The nuns decide to stage a variety show to raise funds for the last four burials. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea`au Natural Foods, Paradise Plants, The Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door. For ticket information and reservations, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.