Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 7, 2011

Location of proposed biofuel processing plant site is the truck shed where ML Macadamia keeps and maintains its equipment.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY signed an agreement yesterday with `Aina Koa Pono to provide processed biofuel for electric generation. The biofuel would come from processing trees like eucalyptus and Christmas berry, starting with Ka`u. 

     It would also come from crops grown on 13,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu. The wood chips and other agricultural materials would be delivered to a processing plant, which `Aina Koa Pono plans to locate within Pahala Village.
     The biofuels plant would initially truck biofuel to Keahole Power Plant in Kona but could also ship it to to other Hawaii Electric plants in the state. It would also be able to accept chipped trees and other feedstock for its processing plant in Pahala from other sources on the Big Island and around the state.
     “This is the first contract awarded as a result of our call in April 2010 for locally grown and processed biofuels to be used in our power plants on Hawai`i Island, O`ahu and in Maui County,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president.
     “The team at `Aina Koa Pono submitted an excellent proposal and was prepared to negotiate with the best interests of the state and Hawai`i Island at heart,” said Alm.
     Alm said the contract is an important step in reaching Hawai`i’s clean energy goal of 70 percent of electricity and transportation energy from clean sources by 2030. The project complements Hawaiian Electric’s plans for adding significant amounts of renewable energy from other sources, including solar, wind, garbage-to-energy, biomass, geothermal, ocean and others, he declared.
     Under the AKP contract, the utility would:
• Buy a significant quantity of local biofuels for generating units to increase energy independence, spend energy dollars locally and reduce vulnerability to volatile oil prices.
• Signal to landowners and agricultural interests that Hawaiian Electric companies are committed to using local fuels and are signing contracts that create a workable business model for agricultural energy crops to emerge in Hawai`i.
• Because liquid fuels are transportable, create a renewable fuel supply for firm power that can be used anywhere in Hawai`i.
     “This contract moves us forward on Governor Abercrombie’s ‘New Day’ plans for energy independence, on compliance with the aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standards now in state law and on our promises in the Hawai`i Clean Energy Initiative agreement,” Alm said.
     The plan is subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission.
     The request to the Public Utilities Commission asks for the PUC to spread among customers of Hawai`i Electric Light Company, Maui Electric Company and Hawaiian Electric Company the difference between the price of locally grown and produced biofuel and the fossil fuel it replaces.
     Based on December 2010 fuel costs, this would add less than 1/3 of a cent per kilowatt-hour, or $1.55 to $1.86 per month, to a typical residential customer bill (typical residential use varies between 500 and 600 kilowatt-hours a month) for Hawai`i Island, Maui County and Oahu customers.
     “This contract provides for potential future delivery of AKP biofuels to other islands, making it reasonable that all customers join in paying the initial incremental cost as this facility gets up and running. Fossil fuel oil prices are expected to continue their erratic climb, so in time the cost of AKP biofuel is expected to be less than the cost of the oil it displaces,” Alm said.
     “Hawai`i Island already has the highest level of renewable energy in the state, getting more than 30 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Renewable energy requirements are calculated on a consolidated basis for the Hawaiian Electric companies’ service territories, so Maui and Oahu have benefitted from Hawai`i Island’s leadership,” Alm said.
     Other terms of the AKP contract include:
• It is effective from and contingent upon PUC approval.
• AKP will provide 14 million gallons per year in 2014, increasing to 16 million gallons per year in 2015 for a total of 20 years.
• The processing is restricted to feedstock grown on Hawai`i Island, with conditional allowances for feedstocks from elsewhere in Hawai`i.
     The biofuel will meet Hawai`i Electric Light Company specifications and be used primarily at Keahole Power Plant in West Hawai`i, with flexibility for delivery to other generation stations on Hawai`i Island, O`ahu and in Maui County.
     `Aina Koa Pono wants to put its processing plant at the old truck shed area of the former Pahala sugar mill, which is currently being used by ML Macadamia for its macadamia farming equipment. 

`AINA KOA PONO also put out a press release yesterday, explaining that its name means, in Hawaiian, “For the Good of the Land.” The company says it will invest approximately $320 million dollars into the Ka`u Energy Farm to cover the costs of building a cutting-edge processing facility as well as planting and harvesting biofeedstocks including sweet sorghum and eucalyptus. 

     The press release says that another goal for the Ka`u Energy Farm is to integrate land use for fuel and food agriculture to enhance – not harm – Hawai`i’s environment. `Aina Koa Pono promises to support existing and new local food-related operations including cattle ranchers, coffee producers, more macadamia nut farmers and tropical fruit producers by providing a market for and processing non-food by-products such as green waste into usable liquid fuels. In addition, `Aina Koa Pono will cycle biofeedstock crops in a traditional manner to optimize land use and restore soils, the press release states.
     The company promises 300 construction jobs to build its processing plant, plus 100 permanent jobs in Pahala.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND starts the new year with a Ka`u beach cleanup tomorrow. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. and head to Kamilo Beach. Call Megan at 769-7629 or email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 6, 2011

Eucalyptus, Christmas berries and other invasives could be used to make biofuels in Pahala.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY is holding a press conference today on O`ahu concerning the future of energy in Hawai`i and the future of Ka`u. Peter Rosegg, spokesman from HECO, said this morning that HECO is signing an agreement with Aina Koa Pono to establish a biofuel farm on 13,000 acres in Ka`u on former C. Brewer sugar lands. Biomass would be processed into biofuel in Pahala town and trucked to Keahole power plant in West Hawai`i. More details will be released after the press conference this afternoon on O`ahu, he said.

YELLOW STREET LIGHTS will likely be replaced on county roads, as a measure to install LED energy efficient bulbs is going to the full county council. The replacement not only requires new bulbs, it requires new fixtures, which cost up to $1,800 each. But electricity costs would be up to 60 percent less, saving the county nearly $170,00 a year. The county traffic division has been working with Mauna Kea scientists to make sure the new lights are a type that will not interfere with astronomy. They will, however, provide better lighting for drivers.

IMPACT FEES, charged to people building houses and developers creating subdivisions, will be explained in public meetings to be held soon by County Council member Pete Hoffman, who says he plans to hold a session soon in Ka`u. Impact fees are complicated, said County Council member Brittany Smart, and the council wants to make sure the community understands them before new formulas are adopted. Some impact fees are used to pay for county parks.

VOG: HOW DANGEROUS IS IT? is the television program that airs live tonight on PBS at 7 p.m. Ka`u rancher Lani Petrie, of Kapapala; state Rep. Bob Herkes; Dr. Elizabeth Tam, of U.H. Medical School; and Jeff Sutton, of the U.S. Geological Survey, are expected to discuss the damage to health and businesses since 2008 when Halema`uma`u began spewing heavy vog toward Ka`u. The air quality has improved significantly during the past year.

AN OCEAN VIEW Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Call 939-7033.

A volunteer hauls derelict fishing nets from the Ka`u Coast
during a past cleanup sponsored by
Hawai`i Wildlife Fund.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND starts the new year with a Ka`u beach cleanup on Saturday. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. and head to Kamilo Beach. Call Megan at 769-7629 or email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 5, 2011

The air is much cleaner in recent months in Ka`u following heavy damage to agriculture and health concerns from the two plumes seen on the skyline above Honu`apo. PBS will host a live panel on vog Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. featuring community leaders in Ka`u.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY precinct members this Sunday will narrow the field from nine to three candidates to fill Russell Kokubun’s state Senate seat for Ka`u, Puna and part of Hilo, as Kokubun resigned to head the state Department of Agriculture.
     Nine Democrats have applied for the job. They are County Council member J Yoshimoto, an attorney and former Hawai`i County Democratic Party chair; state Rep. Faye Hanohono, a retired prison guard; Russell Ruderman, who owns Island Naturals; Gil Kahele, who is retired from Public Works at Pohakuloa Training Area and served as East Hawai`i campaign chair for Governor Abercrombie’s campaign.
     Anthony Marzi, unsuccessful candidate for 4th District House seat and a Database Administrator, also applied. So did Gary Safarik, a communications business owner and former chair of the Hawai`i County Council. Beverly Jean Withington, a former state chair of the Democratic Party, long-time nurse and attorney in Kea`au, threw her hat in the ring. So did Wai`ohinu farmer, retired physician and Na`alehu Democratic precinct officer Richard Creagan and Susan “Marie” Sanford, manager of the Abundant Life Natural Foods store in Hilo. Farmer and businessman Richard Ha, whose name was mentioned earlier, decided not to apply for the job.
     The selection process includes interviews and will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kea`au Hongwanji. Once the slate of three is chosen, it will be confirmed by Hawai`i Democratic Chair Dante Carpenter and passed to the governor. Abercrombie is expected to select the next senator in time for the opening of the new Legislature on January 19.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING requirements of developers will be a hot topic at county council meetings this year. Council member Pete Hoffman has drafted a bill that would require developers to offer 20 percent of houses built to those with less than 80 percent of the island’s median income, 10 percent to those earning between 80 and 100 percent of median income and 10 percent to those earning up to 120 percent of median income.
     Median income is $66,700 a year for a family of four. Current law requires that developers constructing five or more homes make some of them available to lower income people. The lower the income bracket served, the fewer affordable houses the developer has to build. Developers can also exchange credits with other developers to reduce the number of affordable homes they have to build.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS today and takes up some final readings. One bill requires the administration to notify the council of any change orders in county contracts in an attempt for the council to oversee and help reduce overage costs for county projects.
     Another bill raises the filing fee for Use Permits from $250 to $500, and a third updates the county water code to make it consistent with the state water code.

Halema`uma`u Crater, with its S02 plume, is the subject of Vog: How Dangerous is It?
on Hawai`i PBS Thursday.

VOG: HOW DANGEROUS IS IT? is the television program that will be aired live tomorrow, Thursday, on PBS at 7:30 p.m. with Ka`u rancher Lani Petrie, of Kapapala; state Rep. Bob Herkes; Dr. Elizabeth Tam, of U.H. Medical School; and Jeff Sutton, of the U.S. Geological Survey. They are expected to discuss the damage to health and businesses since 2008, when Halema`uma`u began spewing heavy vog toward Ka`u. The air quality has improved significantly, however, during the past year. 

HUNTING LICENSES can be purchased online today at The Nature Conservancy Office on Hwy 11 in Na`alehu from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead to 443-5409.

AN OCEAN VIEW Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held tomorrow, Thursday at Ocean View Community Center at 7 p.m. Call 939-7033.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 4, 2011

Teri Nguyen is a property owner who fought against privatization of the Kama`oa Road remnant.

THE PROPOSAL TO SELL THE KAMA`OA ROAD remnant to private landowners failed the county council’s finance committee yesterday and will move to full County Council with a negative recommendation. Council member Brittany Smart said a handful of people testified against the proposal, saying that selling off public roads to private parties could set a precedent leading to blocking off public access to the shoreline, forests and hunting trails.

BUILDING A PERMANENT TRASH TRANSFER station for Ocean View became a major topic with the county council Finance Committee yesterday. It delayed its approval of $8.8 million for a Wai`ohinu recycling and reloading station until plans for Ocean View can be firmed up. Rell Woodward and Don Nitsche said it is unfair to put such a big capital improvements project in Wai`ohinu before providing for Ocean View, which has a temporary trash bin for residential waste, available only on Saturdays. Robin Lamson also attended. Council member Brittany Smart said she plans to meet with the Department of Environmental Management to push for a solution for Ocean View.

THE THREE-YEAR-OLD IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS LAW that allows the state Land Use Commission and property owners to preserve land for ag use is yet to be employed in Ka`u. However, it is making traction in other parts of the state. Moloka`i Ranch is asking the LUC to preserve 4,919 acres for cattle ranching. Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. has already won approval to receive Important Agricultural Land Status for 27,105 acres at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui and 3,773 acres at Kaua`i Coffee Company.
     Incentives to put land into Important Agricultural Land status include loan guarantees, tax credits for ag facilities, ease in permits for ag processing plants, and allowing employee housing on prime ag land. It also allows owners to urbanize land equivalent to 15 percent of the acres protected. So far all the applicants have waived urbanization. The state program is separate from the agricultural easements being placed on 8,000 acres of Ka`u by Olson Trust.

THE BIG ISLAND BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION is conducting an islandwide survey throughout January. Unofficial counts show that hundreds, possibly thousands, of bee colonies died on the Big Isle during 2010, according to Cary Dizon, president of the organization. Varroa mites arrived in 2008, bringing an epidemic causing Small Hive Beetle infestation that swept the island in three months, destroying hives, Dizon said.
     The survey seeks to find the healthy, managed colonies and those colonies lost in the past year. Reports of feral honeybee colony losses are also needed, Dizon said. See zoomerang.com/Survey or call 640-0278.

THE BIG ISLAND has been selected to host the international Western Apicultural Society annual convention. It will be held in Waikoloa. Anyone interested in the business or hobby of beekeeping is invited to join the Big Island Beekeepers Association. Meetings are quarterly at Komohana Ag Extension Service in Hilo.

Avocats Hawai`i veterinarians volunteer
to spay and neuter wild cats.

TRAPPING WILD CATS TO SPAY AND NEUTER THEM is being promoted in Ka`u by Avocats Hawai`i. The nonprofit would like to organize spay and neuter clinics for which community residents use Avocats traps to catch feral cats and bring them to a central location where a volunteer veterinarian spays and neuters them, gives them inoculations and a flea treatment. After keeping them overnight the cats go back into the wild. Such programs have reduced wild cat populations significantly between Kona and Ocean View, said Avocats volunteer Joann Young. Anyone wanting to organize a spay and neuter clinic for their town in Ka`u can call her at 929-8393. This spay and neuter program also requires some fundraising, as it costs $20 per cat to support the supplies and travel for the veterinarian. 

THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I’S HI-5 Redemption Center at Wai`ohinu Transfer Station is now open on Saturdays and Sundays through March 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 pm. The center is operated by Arc of Hilo. New hours are good through March 31.

Bay Clinic's Dental Van is available to the public
in Na`alehu this week.

THE BAY CLINIC MOBILE DENTAL VAN is open today from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Na`alehu. It is closed for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Call 965-3073 for an appointment.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 3, 2011

Tissy Kaniho says she wants the road to be private to protect her cattle and horses.
Others fear it will set a precedent blocking public access around the island.

THE KAMAOA ROAD ISSUE comes up before the County Council Finance Committee today at its meeting in Keauhou. Ka`u’s council member Brittany Smart said that she has not changed her position on refraining from selling publicly owned roads and was looking forward to any additional testimony on the matter. Former council member Guy Enriques had proposed that the county sell the 1.5-mile remnant at the end of Kamaoa Road on the South Point bluff to private landowners there. Other council members, including council chair Dominic Yagong, said it could set a poor precedent around the island for selling public access to the coast, graveyards and recreation areas.

Plan released in 2007 for the new Wai`ohinu Recycling Station

THE $8.8 MILLION WAI`OHINU reload facility and transfer station also comes up before the County Council Finance Committee today. Brittany Smart chairs the Environmental Management committee, which oversees the collection, recycling and disposal of rubbish. She explained this morning that the final cost was not yet fixed but the project would include a central location where trucks would come from Pahala, Ocean View, Miloli`i and Waiea. Garbage would be sorted and reloaded onto larger trucks to send to the appropriate facility. This would end the practice of partially filled rubbish trucks traveling on the highway. It would also provide for a commercial rubbish drop-off site. Right now, many businesses are illegally taking their waste to residential rubbish transfer stations.

Existing Wai`ohinu Transfer Station

     Construction expenses would include building the reload facility, upgrading retaining walls and chutes and constructing the recycling facility. The new facility in Wai`ohinu would also create new jobs.

THE OCEAN VIEW TRANSFER station is not ignored in favor of Wai`ohinu, said Smart. She reported that it is funded, and once the land purchase is finalized, the county is ready to get the permits to begin construction.

VOG, HOW DANGEROUS IS IT? is the title of a PBS show on Thursday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m. The live broadcast will feature Lani Petrie, of Kapapala Ranch, one of local businesses hardest hit by emissions blowing from the volcano straight over to its pastures between Pahala and Volcano. Also on the panel is state Rep. Bob Herkes, who has championed help for people affected in their business and their health by the emissions, particularly in 2008 and early 2009. Dr. Elizabeth Tam, of the U.H. Medical School, who is studying the effects of emissions on health, and Jeff Sutton, with the U.S. Geological Survey, are also on the panel. 

THE BAY CLINIC Mobile Dental Van visits Ka`u Family Health Center this week. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Call 965-3073 for an appointment. The van is in Ka`u the first week of each month.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 2, 2011

More than 8,000 acres of ranchland, farmland and forest are being conserved in Ka`u.

THE HAWAI`I ISLAND LAND TRUST, which has been working with The Nature Conservancy to preserve some 8,000 acres for agriculture and nature through land conservation easements in Ka`u, formally merged yesterday with the Maui Coastal Land Trust, Kaua`i Public Land Trust, and O`ahu Land Trust. 

     Doug Sensenig, who serves as Hawai`i Island director for the expanded organization, said, “We are excited about the merger because we’ll be able to work with more landowners who want to see their land protected for the future well being of all Hawai`i Island’s people. Our local council will make sure the Island’s special character is respected.”
     Combined, the new Hawaiian Islands Land Trust already oversees 15,229 acres of conservation land across the state, including: 188 acres on Hawai`i Island; 11,810 on Maui; 3,057 on Moloka`i; and 174 on Kaua`i. Currently in active negotiations with Olson Trust and other landowners on Hawai`i Island, Kaua`i, O`ahu, and Maui, the Land Trust expects to announce thousands more conservation acres within the first quarter of 2011.
     A statement from the group says, “In Hawai`i, land is our most important and valuable resource. Its conservation helps ensure clean air and drinking water, food security, scenic landscapes and views, recreational places, and habitat for a diversity of ecosystems. Land conservation in Hawai`i is especially imperative due to the added significance of inseparable cultural relationships and our intrinsic space limitations.”
     Hawaiian Islands Land Trust is a nationally accredited nonprofit organization with the mission of acquiring, preserving and protecting conservation lands across Hawai`i for the benefit of the natural environment and current and future generations.

THE U.S. ARMY is asking for public input on its plan to expand and upgrade Pohakuloa Training Area facilities along the Saddle Road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The military is submitting a Programic Environmental Impact Statement on potential effects with construction and operation of an Infantry Platoon Battle area at Pohakuloa. The expanded facility “would improve the current shortfall in collective (group) live-fire training capabilities for units stationed in Hawai`i,” says a media release from the military.
     The military wants to construct and operate an Infantry Platoon Battle Course Live-fire Shoothouse, and a Military Operations on Urban Terrain facility.
     The public is invited to scoping meetings to ask questions and examine tabletop displays. Comments will be allowed. A Hilo scoping meeting will be on Tuesday, January 11, at 
Hilo Intermediate School
, 587 Waianuenue Avenue, with an open house from 
5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. 
and an open microphone session from 7 to 9 p.m. See www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil.

THE HAM RADIO operators of Ka`u are having a potluck at Manuka Park at noon today. Ham radio operators provide emergency communication for police, fire, civil defense, hospitals and the Red Cross. To join, go to Manuka this afternoon or call Dennis Smith at 989-3028.

Trees are being chipped to make mulch for gardens.

TREECYCLING is happening at Wai`ohinu transfer station through January 16. Trees and greenery should be free of decorations, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Artificial and flocked trees are not accepted. Trees will be chipped and made available for use in gardens.

KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL this week in Ka`u, with a teachers workday on Monday and students back to the classroom on Tuesday. Remember that all furloughs have been cancelled so there will be more classroom days through the end of the school year.

Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 1, 2011

Hui Ho`omalu is hoping that more Ka`u families will step up to care for
foster children in 2011.

THE NEW PLAN FOR the 16,500-acre parcel at Nani Kahuku `Aina near Ocean View is far different than the plan earlier circulated in the Ka`u community. While the earlier plan included a commercial center and other development close to Hwy 11 and down near the shoreline, the new plan concentrates on a 1,600-acre resort development and parklands along the coast. Omitted is an airport. The owners plan to submit an Environment Impact Statement to the state Office of Environmental Quality Control in January. Spokesman Aaron Eberhardt said that delays in completion of the Ka`u Community Development Plan have prompted the owners of Nani Kahuku `Aina to move forward and seek land use approvals in the county General Plan and from the state Land Use Commission, County Planning Commission and County Council.

THERE ARE NO PLANS to bring Head Start to Ka`u, as a nonprofit from O`ahu is taking over the operations on this island. The organization is called Parents and Teachers Together, and it will run the 11 Head Starts on Kona and Hilo sides before considering expanding into Ka`u. Head Start serves low-income preschoolers, ages 3 to 5. It was formerly operated by the Community Development Institute and earlier by the Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council.

THE ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S DAY FIREWORKS show, which has been sponsored for years by Rodney Freitas, his family, and his Big Island Klimate Kontrol, has been put on hold this year. Freitas, who put out an appeal to help fund the spectacular fireworks display in Pahala, said that perhaps there will be enough money raised for January 1 in 2012. There will be no aerial fireworks display tonight in Pahala.

THE STATE HOUSE AND SENATE GO TO WORK in the New Year, starting this Monday, January 3, with finance committees holding briefings on budgets. Even though the Council on Revenues has forecast a three percent increase in tax revenues this year, fueled by increasing tourism, the state will still be short some $30 million dollars to fund its operations.

Dui offenders will have heavy expenses and must pass a
breath test every time they turn on their cars.

THE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE of alcohol laws just got tougher, as new legislation goes into effect today. Drivers who refuse breath or blood alcohol tests will have their driver’s licenses revoked for a year but may drive with an ignition interlock device that requires a clean breath test every time you start your car. First time DUI offenders will have to drive with the interlock device for a year, and second time DUI offenders will have their license revoked for 18 months but will be able to drive with the interlock device. Third time DUI offenders will have their license revoked for two years, but will be able to drive with the interlock device. Fourth time offender? Pau. Your license will be revoked for five to ten years – no driving at all. Not only do the new DUI laws require you to pay for the interlock device, you also must install a camera on your windshield to make sure you are the person turning on the vehicle and taking the breath test. If convicted you will also be required to take your vehicle to a station every month to download the data recorded by the interlock device and to make sure the system is working properly. Hawai`i is the 48th state to adopt the interlock system of controlling drunken driving. 

IF YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION is to help people, you might consider taking in a foster child. Hui Ho`omalu says that there is such a shortage of foster homes in Ka`u that keiki are being sent outside the district. If you want to help, call 987-5988.

CHRISTMAS TREES without ornaments and flocking are being accepted for recycling daily at Wai`ohinu transfer station.

THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I’S RUBBISH drop-off site at Kahuku Park in Ocean View is closed today, January 1. The site is locked, and everyone is warned to refrain from illegally dumping or littering around the closed facility. The site will open tomorrow, Sunday, January 2 and will resume the normal Saturday operation beginning Saturday, January 8.