Letters for Thursday, April 28, 2022

Pass bills for clean water

The state Legislature is wrapping up its last few bills for this session, and one problem they continue to kick down the road is the issue of sewage in our streams and rivers that flow to the ocean.

There are a few pending bills that move things forward a bit, and we are not even sure they are going to pass, no less get the governor’s signature. Hawai‘i has more cesspools than any other state. That means when you flush the toilet it goes right into your yard.

The sewage eventually finds its way to the groundwater and into our waterways. A state economy that is based on beautiful beaches cannot continue with unabated water pollution. The Kaua‘i Surfrider Foundation Blue Water Task Force found that 22 streams and two rivers were contaminated with human sewage.

These streams all end up at the beach. It would be progress if HB2195, the Cesspool Grant Project, passed. It would create grants to help low-income folks convert their failing cesspools. If you have any influence on our legislators please let them know that this situation is unacceptable.

Gordon LaBedz, Kekaha

No air for the van tire

Up in the air. On April 15 I noticed that the right front tire on my van needed air. I stopped at the Shell station on Kuhio Highway in Lihu‘e. Yes, air and water cost $1.50 for a couple of minutes of service. But, unfortunately, the machine which provides this was out of service. I went across the street to the Texaco station — out of service. The 76 station adjacent — out of service. The Texaco station on Rice Street — out of service.

The 76 station at Kukui Grove — out of service. Texaco station, Hokulei Village Shopping Center — out of service.

With the island near capacity with tourists, there was nowhere a visitor or a local could get service for their vehicles in Lihu‘e.

I visited the same locations today, April, 23 and all six locations still have not corrected the problem.

I pity someone with a leak in their vehicle’s tire needing service, perhaps just to get back to the airport. There is currently nowhere in Lihu‘e they can find service. I hope a county official will read this and make the proper calls to help get this problem corrected.

It’s bad enough we have to pay for air and water. Now it is not available at all.

Eduardo Valenciana, Lihu‘e

SB2510 is the climate change accelerator bill

I urge your readers to oppose SB2510, which would raise electric rates on every island and worsen our climate crisis. Proposed by Senators Donovan Dela Cruz and Glenn Wakai, if passed in its original form it will also remove planning flexibility from our utilities and Public Utilities Commmission and reward carbon-polluting corporations.

The bill would require a set percentage of “firm renewable” sources in our electric utilities. (While this percentage has been removed from the most recent versions, it will return in conference committee, because without it this bill is meaningless.)

This would prevent the utilities from adopting the cheapest, most reliable mix of resources. A more flexible mix with extra solar, wind and battery capacity will be cheaper and just as reliable.

Our electric utilities and PUC have guided Hawai‘i to be the nation’s leader in renewable energy, with the careful planning that is standard with such professionals. They somehow did it without any help from Senators Dela Cruz and Wakai, but now the good senators are stepping in to save us from this pattern of consistency and professionalism.

I know some of the planners at PUC and Hawaiian Electric Industries a little bit. They are capable professionals in their field and have kept the lights on through our transition to renewables. I know Senators Dela Cruz and Wakai quite well. Fair play, democratic principles and concern for our environment have never hindered their efforts to please their corporate sponsors.

Russell E. Ruderman, President, Island Naturals Markets, Former State Senator, Puna, Hawai‘i Island