Asking more of our representatives

An open letter from Malama Hamakua members to Sen. Lorraine Inouye, in response to her letter “The People’s Work”

Mahalo for your response in Sunday’s paper regarding your absence at the recent Hu Honua Bioenergy public meeting held by the Department of Health on Nov. 14 in Hilo which hundreds of your constituents attended to voice their concerns.

Without a doubt the work of a dedicated elected representative is demanding and tireless. The funding that you have been able to procure for our district is appreciated.

In addition to procuring funding, we believe it is the job of our representatives to do everything they can to protect and advocate for the communities they were elected to represent. The sentiment you express, “I am closely following the Hu Honua project, but it rests in the hands of the Department of Health and courts” concerns us, as the devastating effects Hu Honua would have if allowed to become operational (and has already had by way of its recent chemical spill, declared against state law by DOH and for which it is under investigation and subject to fines of up to $25,000) requires action, not simply “following.”

Can you not use the power you possess as a state senator and new Majority Whip to introduce legislation as soon as the next session opens in January 2019 to stop this project to help safeguard the health of your constituents, the natural resources of your district and our global climate? Can you not use your leverage with our state agency the Department of Health to give voice to your constituents who are demanding an EIS be done to properly evaluate the potential effects of Hu Honua BEFORE it becomes a disaster? Can you not use your position as the Chairperson of the Transportation Committee to evaluate the egregious impacts multiple heavy logging trucks (estimated 5-6 per hour) are sure to have on the roads and traffic conditions of your district and create requirements Hu Honua must meet to promote your community’s safety?

Two groups of your concerned constituents met on Dec. 2 to discuss Hu Honua, and at the second meeting we watched a documentary entitled “Burned,” exposing the devastating effects of the biomass industry on communities where both the industrial logging and the power plant facilities are located as well as on global climate change. We warmly invite you to watch this documentary and to meet with us at a Town Hall to discuss Hu Honua. Additional screenings of the documentary are scheduled at the Honokaa People’s Theatre on: Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 9 at 5 p.m., and Dec 12 at 7 p.m.

If you cannot attend one of those screenings, we will arrange to send a shortened digital copy of the movie by email to your office. We will also reach out to your office to schedule a town hall, to which State Representative Mark Nakashima and County Council Representative Valerie Pointdexter are also invited. We also wish to invite all state and county elected officials, particularly state Sen. Kai Kahele and state Rep. Chris Todd, who along with you, wrote letters to the PUC in support of Hu Honua prior to their Power Purchase Agreement being approved.

Thank you in advance for your continued attention to and action on this matter.

Mahalo,

Malama Hamakua

www.malamahamakua.org