Say no to waste-to-energy idea
The county’s 10-year Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan is on track to potentially derail our recycling and climate-control efforts in favor of additional greenhouse gases and worsening climate change.
Jacobs, the consultant that wrote the plan, claims that “WTE (waste-to energy incineration) is considered by the EPA to be a clean, reliable, renewable source of energy and would offset the dependence of fossil fuels on the island.”
However, Jacobs does not reference the EPA in its claim, but instead cites the Energy Recovery Council, an organization that represents the WTE industry. Furthermore, the ERC does not point to an EPA link to justify its claim. See archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/faq.html.
The EPA website specifies that only “separated” municipal solid waste is renewable. See archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/faq.html.
If the County Council does not require Jacobs to correct this misrepresentation, it could facilitate the construction of a WTE plant on Kaua‘i, which would run counter to all of our efforts to control climate change.
John Patt, Koloa
On executive-branch overreach
I find it odd that Gov. David Ige is now giving back power to the county mayors without a thought about the chronic overreach of the executive branch during the pandemic.
The executive branch may have been violating the constitution by using extended emergency powers in the first place. I would be very wary of one branch of the government exercising power in this way. It sets an unfortunate precedent.
You may feel fine about this (the ends justify the means), but someone who has lost their business or job may not be very happy about it at all. In general, the Republican states have been more careful about not violating constitutional rights during the pandemic. If you or your child have been injured by forced vaccination, forced masking, lost your business, lost your job and so on, you may want to consider this the next time you vote.
P.S. I am still waiting for a cogent explanation regarding the accuracy of the PCR test, upon which all statistics of the pandemic are based.
Molly Jones, Kealia
I actually think David Ige has reached the end of the line when it comes to giving orders or demanding the counties to take action and continue with keeping updates of the coronavirus. Everyone wants to start getting back to normal again. But Europe, Austria, Italy, and Croatia, all are going into the second week of another lockdown in their economy. Which the coronavirus is still highly active there. I wonder if this easing up on the state and giving it to the counties to see to their economic well being is a step in a better direction. If people get more sick, they’ll need to tighten up the restrictions again, or at worst case situation, another lockdown. 2022.
Did the president Joe Biden take into account more stimulus packs for out of work employees going into the 2022 year? I am not sure. But this may account too if the state does go into another lockdown, Joe Biden did take this into account and give out money to Hawai’i. Even so, I think 2022 stimulus money will be given out to many people who needs it.
Molly is correct. During the pandemic Republican states have been terrific at protecting their citizens’ constitutional right to be stupid. On the other hand Democratic-led states, by imposing strict restrictions, have been so bad at allowing their citizens to be stupid, the spread of Covid-19 has been significantly lowered.
On November 24 the Garden Island Newspaper ran an article titled “Island health- care providers to receive $3.6 million in Federal Aid”
The grants can be used to pay salaries or recruit workers, purchase supplies or equipment such as N95 or surgical masks or ventilators, make capital investments, or cover other expenses related to preventing or responding to COVID-19, the announcement states.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee said the federal funding would help families across Hawai‘i get the health care they need as they continue to fight this pandemic.
His website listed eighteen local Kaua‘i health-care providers as recipients including “acupuncturist Molly Jeanette Jones, Kealia”
Is this the very same Molly Jones who penned the above letter and has frequently and publicly denied the severity of Covid; spread misinformation regarding vaccines; and mocked federal funding designed to help society?
Is this the very same Molly Jones whose infantile Pandemic Pop Quizzes have bored, yet annoyed us for months?
If so; may I just say: What a HYPOCRITE.
This person is the antithesis of who should be receiving funding designed to help health workers engaged in fighting the pandemic.
If you agree; please join me in showing your displeasure by contacting Senator Schatz at schatz.senate.gov/contact and sharing your feedback.
Thank you
Ms Jones should be denied receipt of said funds; or be required to return them with interest if they have been distributed to her. An investigation into her gross self misrepresentation may also be warranted.
The problem with the EPA is that it doesn’t actually work in the industries it regulates. It was a good idea in the beginning, but has now mutated into a radical organization solely existing to collect on their fines. I trust a car mechanic for more than someone who owns a car manufacturing company but has never actually worked on a car. Add that the fact that government has lost credibility over the past decades, and you tend to looks elsewhere from the truth. So, is the EPA or the WTE telling the truth in your article? Or is it neither?
RE: John Patt – You forgot to mention that Jacobs engineers, designs and build WTE plants. No conflict there? And guess who will bid on the Kauai WTE? Again no conflict there. I know this firm very well having 40+ years in engineering, design, construction and expert witness work. Aloha
Thank you for the heads up. I was not aware of that.
RE – TomK, I thought they were a wastewater management company. Thank you for mentioning this connection to W2E … I will research this further.
Oh it’s Molly. Still trying to spread misinformation eh? Still curious about how PCR tests work eh? Your schtick has gotten so old. From the families of the 13 people on Kauai who have died from Covid, and dozens who’ve been hospitalized, I wish you would simply be quiet.
“In general, the Republican states have been more careful about not violating constitutional rights during the pandemic.”
If you’re against vaccination or wearing a mask, you may want to consider moving to a red state.
When you say “In general, the Republican states have been more careful about not violating constitutional rights during the pandemic…”, I guess it depend on which Constitutional rights you’re talking about. They certainly haven’t been careful to protect voting rights, a woman’s right to choose under Roe v. Wade, the rights of the LBGQ community nor a slew of other rights that don’t suit their agendas. And further, many of the so called “rights” you feel are being violated, are not, in fact, constitutional rights at all. Perhaps leave the interpretation of what constitutes a “constitutional right” to legal scholars who actually know those definitionals, not some YouTube hack or right-wing radio host.
Couldn’t agree more Molly Jones 🤙🏼
Molly:
P.S. I am still waiting for a cogent explanation regarding the accuracy of the PCR test, upon which all statistics of the pandemic are based.
Me:
P.S. The 799,452 deaths so far in the U.S. from COVID-19 + approximately 30% of the survivors currently battling long haul symptoms should be adequate stats for anyone – including you.