Ka`u News Briefs July 23, 2011

NO NEW ZONING CHANGES for Ka`u until the Ka`u Community Development Plan passes or until Dec. 31, 2012, whichever comes first. The bill passed the County Council unanimously this week and will have no impact on the proposed Nani Kahuku `Aina resort on 16,000 acres of land near Ocean View, nor the `Aina Koa Pono refinery proposed for land between Wood Valley and Pahala. 

     The county zoning changes for the resort will come after the CDP is completed, and the refinery does not require a zoning change to build the refinery on agricultural land, according to current zoning law, says the county Department of Planning. The construction of the refinery, since it is connected with growing biofuels, is exempt from Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments. A hearing on the contract between Hawaiian Electric and `Aina Koa Pono, which is planning to build the refinery, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 2 at the state Building in Hilo at 9 a.m. and at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kona at 4 p.m.

     Nani Kahuku `Aina has been holding its own small meetings with groups and individuals in Ka`u. 

Legacy Land Funds can be used to preserve aquatic resources in Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE HAWAI`I FOREST LAND PROGRAM of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources seeks applications for funding assistance for forest conservation for the year 2013. The DLNR partners with local land trusts and private landowners to sustain forests through conservation easements that help prevent conversion of forest land to other uses.
 The deadline is Aug. 22. Landowners and non-profit entities can contact Sheri Mann at the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 587-4172. “Hawai`i projects have been very successful in this nationally competitive program,” said DLNR Chair William J. Aila, Jr. “Through the Hawai`i Forest Legacy Program we have been able to protect our environmentally sensitive forest resources, preserve watersheds, shelter endangered species, and safeguard our culturally important sites.” The Hawai`i Forest Legacy Program has identified many forestlands throughout the state as important and in need of permanent protection. More about this can be found in the State’s Assessment of Needs website. See www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/hflp. 

`AINA KOA PONO has updated its frequently-asked-questions section on its website ainakoapono.com. Here are some excerpts: 

Will there be a smell from the plant or processing?
 `Aina Koa Pono says that the only smell created by this process will be that of “sawn lumber” which is comparable to the smell of a lumber yard. The company says there will be no gasoline or chemical smells associated with the plant or processing. 



Will AKP’s facility process municipal solid waste?
 `Aina Koa Pono says its feedstock will be exclusively biomass derived from growing plants and other vegetative matter.



The Public Utilities Commission holds public hearings
regarding proposed rate increases related to `Aina Koa
Pono's biofuels project on Tuesday, Aug. 2

Why don’t you use technology like solar, which has less demand on land resources? 
`Aina Koa Pono says, “Solar power is not economically feasible without significant government subsidy, and more importantly, solar power will not produce liquid fuel for transportation or electricity generation in the HELCO plants.”

 

Will HELCO’s 20-year contract with AKP to purchase bio-fuel reduce the potential for geothermal, wind or solar?
 “No,” says `Aina Koa Pono. The company says HECO is expanding its geothermal work and continues to work with new solar installations on a daily basis. It claims that “the current total energy used by all of the Hawaiian Islands far exceeds all the current and planned Hawai`i renewable projects combined. 

Even with solar and geothermal resources, a facility like Keahole will be used as a back up to assure the continuous flow of power to the residents of the Big Island. The only question is whether Keahole will be operated using fossil diesel or renewable diesel. If, after the development of geothermal, biomass, and solar energies, less power from Keahole is needed, and therefore less biofuel, any renewable liquid fuels can be transported anywhere in Hawai`i.” The company says its project increases the fuel independence of Hawai`i by directly reducing foreign oil imports.

Is there a potential to use this for ground and air transportation? 
`Aina Koa Pono says that “the process will produce ‘synthetic diesel’ that can be used for electric generation, transportation and similar uses. In addition the process also produces lighter distillate that can be processed to jet fuel and gasoline."

What are the risks for HELCO/HECO and its consumers if AKP fails to develop the project or deliver per the specifications within the contract?
 `Aina Koa Pono says there are no risks for consumers. It says that “the contract contains specific development milestones and details on performance,” and that HELCO is only obligated to purchase fuel from `Aina Koa Pono if all of the criteria are met.



Will AKP allocate land for food production?
 `Aina Koa Pono states that “the Edmund Olson Trust has carved out acreage along Wood Valley Road as a diversified agricultural area in conjunction with the biomass production on former cane fields that have long been fallow.” It says that “currently, there is a wide variety of plants cultivated under land leases. About 15 acres of sweet potato production has been recently planted in addition to taro, kukui nuts, bananas, strawberries, a wide variety of lettuce and an assortment of other vegetables including squash, coffee trees, and soon peanuts.
     The company says it looks forward “to supporting the diversified agriculture efforts of our joint venture partner, the Edmund Olson Trust, and helping to achieve Hawai`i’s dual goals of increased energy security and self sufficient food production.”

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY is being marked next Thursday by the state Department of Health, which encourages Hawai`i residents to be tested. Knowing you have the silent disease can help you get treatment and avoid liver failure. Hawai`i has the highest rate of hepatitis in the country. Hepatitis B is endemic in Pacific Islanders and Asians, while C is spread mostly though sexual contact, needles and blood. Beginning Monday, there will be a website hepfreehawaii.org for more on this silent disease which many people have without even knowing about it. Free tests will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Waiakea Health Center, 191 Kuawa Street in Hilo and in Kea`au at the HIV/AIDS Foundation from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. HIV screening is available free at Ka`u Hospital Clinic every third Wednesday of the month from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Ka`u News Briefs July 22, 2011

`Aina Koa Pono says it will get rid of non-productive trees and invasive brush by destroying them in its refinery. The company also promises to grow other feed for cattle.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE STATE STANDS BY the “last, best and final offer” it gave to the teachers union, and the state’s decision to impose it on July 1 without a vote by union members. The State of Hawai`i responded to the union’s “prohibited practice” complaint late yesterday, declaring that the Hawai`i Teachers Association has a “pattern and practice of bad faith bargaining.” The state claims that union leaders could have put the state’s offer to a vote. Instead the union waited for the state to implement wage and health insurance payment reductions, and complained to the Hawai`i Labor Relations Board. 

     Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi and Board of Education chair Don Horner released a joint statement yesterday. They said the state’s response to the labor board complaint details “how the state bargained in good faith,” with months of negotiations, offers and counter offers and agreements with union bargainers that never went to a vote.
     Union leader Wil Okabe disagrees. He sent a letter to teachers this week contending that Hawai`i is “confronting the most serious threat to our Constitutional rights in a generation. He said the state violated the Constitution by implementing the altered teacher pay and benefits package without union approval. Okabe said the teachers want to go back to the bargaining table.
     Changes in teacher compensation include a 1.5 percent pay cut, 7.5 furlough days for those who teach for ten months and nine furlough days for yearlong teachers, and teachers must pay half of their health insurance bill instead of 40 percent.

Irrigation is being established for diversified agriculture from the old
sugar plantation system above Wood Valley. Photo by Julia Neal

`AINA KOA PONO, whose proposed refinery between Pahala and Wood Valley goes to an electric company rate hike hearing before the Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 2, has updated its frequently-asked-questions section on its website ainakoapono.com.

What crops will be grown to supply the facility with biomass? 
`Aina Koa Pono says it will haul sterile napier grasses, Christmas berry and eucalyptus trees to its refinery. Its crops would be grown on the lands now largely in trees and pastures between Pahala and Na`alehu. Other than napier grasses, “There is the possibility that other grasses may be considered; if that is the case only those that are classed as non-invasive will be pursued. Other than grown crops, AKP will consume invasive plant species to Hawai`i, that already grow in Ka`u - such as Christmas Berry and Guinea Grass.”
     The group promises to work closely with the Department of Agriculture, University of Hawai`i, and others to provide a means for disposal and eradication of invasive species of plants in Hawai`i. “Prior to our Ka`u Energy Farm, their effort to eliminate or even reduce alien plants was limited because there was no means to destroy the plants once they were collected.” AKP states, “Our facility can provide the means other than herbicides and burning.”
     That facility would vaporize anything put into its giant microwave reactors. Another question on the website describes biomass that could be taken in to such a facility. 

What is Biomass? `Aina Koa Pono says that typical examples of “Green Material” include “lumber, grasses, and bushes, plastics, synthetic and natural fabrics like nylon, polyester, cotton, paper and cardboard products, food waste, and tires.” It says, however, that no municipal waste will go into the microwave reactors. AKP’s Ka`u project proposes to process many different types of biomass including invasive species, hurricane debris, yard waste, and biomass crops. 
 

How might the crops and their management impact Ka`u’s other agricultural activity such as coffee growers, vegetable farms, cattle ranchers, forests, and coastal areas? 
Says `Aina Koa Pono: “Our feedstock crops should have no impact on other agricultural activity, forests and coastal areas. 
Our facility should be beneficial to coffee growers, macadamia nut farms, and cattle ranchers. We can use the waste products from their operations e.g., macadamia nut hulls, old non-productive trees, coffee fruit pulp. We are looking to partner with cattle ranchers to develop dual land use in which the rancher and our biomass production can exist side by side. Various sterile grasses are being considered which grow extremely quickly for available cattle forage without impacting the production needs of the local ranchers. 
Cattle farmers will experience some impact from the additional management of relocating cattle in and out of land for grazing (i.e. between crop cycles), but it will be minimized where possible. Harvesting some of our grasses early can provide a nutritious hay forage if baled and delivered to the ranchers.” 

`Aina Koa Pono says it can help coffee farmers get rid of agricultural
waste in its microwave reactors.

What other inputs will the crops need (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides, etc.), and how will their use be managed? “We will need minimal fertilization with the grasses which we expect to plant. We can also use some of the composted biochar and other local agricultural wastes as a soil amendment. This will allow much faster growth of our feedstock. We do not anticipate the use of pesticides on this project.” 

How much land are you using? Are you cutting down forests? 
 `Aina Koa Pono says it has leased 12,800 acres between Pahala Wood Valley and Na`alehu. “As such we are only using about one-tenth of the agricultural land in Ka`u – and none of the conservation forest land. 



How do you plan to water your crops, given Hawai`i has been in drought conditions? 
“The region has successfully grown sugar cane without additional irrigation. We do not anticipate irrigation for our sterile napier grass since guinea grass has proven to thrive without it. However, should a need arise, there is a reservoir available on the leased property. ” The reservoir referred to is the huge reservoir mauka of Wood Valley Road – the Keaiwa reservoir, which is being restored, along with new pipes, for diversified agriculture.

More questions and answers will be given in tomorrow’s news briefs.

VOLCANO ART CENTER HOSTS a Poetry Slam tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This high-energy poetry competition is open to up to 15 poets on a lottery basis. Admission is $8.

ALSO AT VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Niaulani Campus, Moon Brown and Reggie Griffin perform tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Center’s Live Jazz Concert Series. Tickets are $15. Call 967-8222 or purchase online at volcanoartcenter.org.

Ka`u News Briefs July 21, 2011

Some 13,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu could be changed from pasture and trees to a biofuel farm to support the electric plant in Kona and fuel for cars, trucks, boats and airplanes.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE SIERRA CLUB is intervening in proposals that would take agricultural land away from food production and is having some success. The organization went to court on O`ahu and helped stall a Castle & Cook development of 5,000 homes on prime ag land when a judge recently ruled that the state Land Use Commission’s approval of the project was invalid. The Sierra Club is next going after the D.R. Horton-Schuler development which plans 12,000 more homes and shopping centers at Kapolei. The project would displace 1,500 acres of prime farmland. According to the Sierra Club, it would “further undermine the security of our food supply and threaten aesthetic and environmental interests.” The developers are promising thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs. 

     The Sierra Club has also taken an interest in the `Aina Koa Pono project planned for Ka`u on 13,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu. Sierra Club president Robert Harris said that there are much better ways of producing electricity than taking up good farmland to grow a substitute for fossil fuel.
     However, in addition to refining biomass into a synthetic fuel to be tanker-trucked up Hwy 11 to the power plant by Kona Airport, `Aina Koa Pono plans to make biofuel for transportation. The proposed $350 million refinery would be located between Pahala and Wood Valley.
     A public hearing on its proposed Hawaiian Electric contract that would raise electric rates to help fund the Ka`u refinery will be held Aug. 2 at the state Building in Hilo at 9 a.m. and at the West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona at 4 p.m.
     `Aina Koa Pono has updated a frequently-asked-questions section on its website at www.ainakoapono.com. 

PROGRAMS FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN STUDENTS have won more than $13 million in federal grants, which will be distributed to 23 agencies by the U.S. Department of Education through the Native Hawaiian Education Act. The University of Hawai`i, state agencies, private firms and nonprofit groups make up the recipients. Rep. Mazie Hirono said that the “innovative educational projects will make a difference in the lives of Native Hawaiian children and young adults. Just five months ago House Republicans sought to eliminate funding for Native Hawaiian education programs. We were able to fight back with the Young-Hirono Amendment and preserve this funding. Moving forward, we must remain vigilant in defending against further attempts in Congress to do away with Native Hawaiian programs.” Sen. Dan Inouye said that “too many Native Hawaiians face a unique set of obstacles on their way to obtaining a quality education. Many of these children live in challenging communities and often have difficulty navigating risky environments to attend school and better themselves.” Recipients with programs in Ka`u include Partners in Development Foundation, which oversees Tutu & Me, the preschool educational program, and Hui Ho`omalu, which helps place teens and children with temporary families. 

Anton Krucky
Photos courtesy of
hawaiibusiness.com

A NEW KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL TRUSTEE will be selected following a public comment period that ends Aug. 30. A screening committee has selected three finalists to succeed trustee Dianne Plotts. They are Anton Krucky, Lance Wilhelm and T. `Aulani Wilhelm. The new trustee will be named by a state probate judge. 

     Anton Krucky is co-founder of Tissue Genesis Inc. and serves as its chief executive officer and president. He worked in product development, marketing, and sales at IBM, serving as General Manager of operations in the Pacific. He has consulted to and invested in small and emerging technology, and owned several small businesses. He serves on boards of major Hawai`i corporations that include Servco Pacific, and medical and healthcare Boards like University of Hawai`i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Pacific Health Research Institute. 

Lance Wilhelm

     Lance Wilhelm is a Kamehameha School graduate and executive vice-president of Kiewitt Building Group, which recently built Trump International Tower. He is a career executive in the Kiewitt construction company. 

     T. `Aulani Wilhelm, another graduate of Kamehameha School, has been involved in conservation and management issues in Hawai`i for nearly 15 years. She is superintendent for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the largest single conservation area under the U.S. flag and the world’s largest marine protected area. She previously served as acting reserve coordinator of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. She served as an information officer with the state Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

T. `Aulani Wilhelm

     The public is invited to submit written comments through Aug. 30 to be filed with the probate court. Comments can be sent to Kamehameha Schools Trustee Screening Committee, c/o Inkinen & Associates Inc., 1003 Bishop St., Suite 477, Honolulu, HI 96813.

DEFENDING THE EAST-WEST CENTER is a fight that Rep. Mazie Hirono is taking on in Congress. A bill in the House would eliminate the East-West Center by repealing a 1960 law that established the center for cultural and technical interchange between Asian, Pacific and Western countries. Hirono is asking to remove the language from the funding bill. “Eliminating the East-West Center would have an immediate and potentially devastating impact on our country’s foreign policy and national security interests in the Asia-Pacific region,” she said. “Its work addressing trade, security, human rights, and energy security among other key issues is needed today more than ever.” The bill is being discussed in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The East- West Center still has support at the State Department. The East-West Center, created at the University of Hawai`i-Manoa in 1960, receives federal funding each year of approximately $21 million from the U.S. government and $10 million from other governments, companies and foundations. It brings foreign students to the U.S. for university training in government and economic development. One group of students came to Ka`u as part of their training. Congressional delegate Eni Faleomavaega, of American Samoa, is helping Hirono to preserve the center and is asking for an amendment to remove the proposed funding cut in the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Council Districts were last set in 2001, with District 6
cutting through Napo`opo`o.

COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS that don’t cut through villages and communities and split the population is one of the aims of the county Redistricting Commission. Such a district boundary exists at Napo`opo`o, where Ka`u County Council member Brittany Smart has one part of the community and council member Brenda Ford has the other section of the neighborhood. The issue came up at a District 6 Matters meeting at Yano Hall last night, according to a report in West Hawai`i Today. According to reporter Brendan Shriane, one resident said the split means community voices weren’t being heard. If the two council members don’t get along, “then we are out of luck,” said the Napo`opo`o resident. A redistricting meeting under the District 6 Matters banner will be held at Na`alehu Community Center next Wednesday, July 27. 

THE NEW STATE SCHOOL BOARD plans to conduct informal visits and meetings to remote places like Ka`u, according to a report in Civil Beat. Board of Education Chair Don Horner said he would like to hold periodic meetings on the Neighbor Islands, despite the cutbacks in funding for education. At least two board members would attend each meeting.

VOLCANO ART CENTER HOSTS a Poetry Slam tomorrow from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. This high-energy poetry competition is open to up to 15 poets on a lottery basis. Admission is $8.

ALSO AT VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Niaulani Campus, Moon Brown and Reggie Griffin perform on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Center’s Live Jazz Concert Series. Tickets are $15. Call 967-8222 or purchase online at volcanoartcenter.org.