Hawaii County engages mediator to facilitate ongoing debate
Geothermal Working Group, County of Hawai`i, U.S. (Source: BigIslandVideoNews)
Alexander Richter
16 Oct 2012
Hawaii County engages mediator as part of a process to help sort out fact from fiction regarding the health impacts of geothermal energy and related policy decisions for the coming years.
The county of Hawii continues to face political discussions and debate on geothermal development and impact of existing geothermal activities in the county.
Hawaii County has now hired a mediator from Honolulu “to help sort out fact from fiction regarding the health impacts of geothermal energy”. The process and results of the mediation is expected to influence policy on geothermal development and utilization for the years to come.
As part of the mediation, it is expected that a working group will be established to study existing data on geothermal impacts and to make recommendations for future actions. This will include a health study on the state’s only geothermal power plant of Puna Geothermal Venture.
The general focus is to review data that may not support either the supporters or opposition to geothermal in the country.
It is expected that the group will include physicians, scientists, and Puna residents with different views and bias.
The mediator expects the group to be 12 members strong and start working towards the end of November. The work is then expected to be finished by March or April 2013. All proceedings will be made public.
There is though opposition to this process, which is expected to cost about $200,000 of which $50,000 are for the mediator alone. At the same time it delays any potential development at a time when the state of Hawaii needs to lay the foundation for becoming independent from shipped-in oil for power generation.
Interesting enough no one is speaking about health and other negative issues surrounding the current electricity generation from fossil fuels in the state.
Source: West Hawaii Today
