Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017

     Army Corps of Engineers spokespersons said that heavy snows would likely cause flooding and would have endangered those staying.    

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined the Sioux at Standing Rock last December.

     The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, David Archambault II, said, “President Trump claims he has not received ‘a single phone call’ opposing this widely criticized project. Millions of people have raised their voices against this dangerous project.” He also said: “The drinking water of millions of Americans is now at risk. We are a sovereign nation and we will fight to protect our water and sacred places from the brazen private interests trying to push this pipeline through to benefit a few wealthy Americans with financial ties to the Trump administration.”
     On Feb. 8, the Trump Administration granted an easement allowing the pipeline to be constructed under the Missouri River, a half mile upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. It reverses an earlier decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to withhold the easement while the agency completed an environmental review of alternate pipeline routes and the Tribe’s treaty rights. 

   "The environmental review, referred to as an environmental impact statement, has been wrongfully terminated mid-process," stated Earthjustice. "The lawsuit challenges the Corps’ hasty and unexplained departure from its previous decision, and explains how the Corps ignored the Tribe’s treaty rights and seeks to destroy culturally significant and sacred sites. It also explains how the Corps violated federal statutes requiring close environmental analysis of significant and controversial agency action."
      Jane Hasselman, Earthjustice attorney representing the tribe, said: “In this arbitrary and capricious reversal of course, the Trump Administration is circumventing the law: wholly disregarding the treaty rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and ignoring the legally required environmental review. It isn't the 1800s anymore—the U.S. government must keep its promises to the Standing Rock Sioux and reject rather than embrace dangerous projects that undercut Treaties.” The pipeline is expected to be completed in three months by Texas company Energy Transfer Partners.

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Megan Lamson of Hawai`i Wildlife Fund delivers testimony supporting reduction of styrofoam food containers. Image from Big Island Video News

REDUCTION OF STYROFOAM CONTAINERS in Hawai`i County received supportive testimony Tuesday from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund, which has faced foam and plastics in the millions of pounds of trash it has cleaned up off the Ka`u Coast for many years. Megan Lamson, representing the Wildlife Fund, and also President of Ka Ohana O Honu`apo, testified in support of reducing polystyrene foam food containers because "science documents it endangers our health, environment and marine life; economic nearsightedness and strong community support coupled with common sense."  

      She said polystyrene has adverse health effects, does not biodegrade and "will last in our landfills indefinitely, despite their intended design to be used for less than an hour. 

     She contended that a "2 penny to 25 cent  difference cost in a foam alternative product is just the bottom line for vendors. We really need to think about the end life of these products in our landfills, along our roads and eventually in our oceans. Foam food containers are costing taxpayers millions of dollars in cleanup costs."

     The Hawai`i state Department of Transportation produced a trash reduction plan in 2016 and "showed styrofoam was one of the top contributors in the waste stream along our highways. They even suggested a styrofoam ban ordinance," said Lamson. She also noted that many restaurants and Suisan Fish Market have made the switch from styrofoam.

     "We live on an island and should not be importing ore creating things that we cannot dispose of properly," said Lamson.

     The Hawai`i County Council's Committee on Environmental Protection voted in favor of the bill which moves on to the full County Council. Ka`u's council member Maile David cast her vote of support, along with council members Karen Eoff, Eileen O`Hara, Valerie Poindexter and Jennifer Ruggles. If the five continue to support it, it will likely pass the full council. A related bill failed the council in 2016 before elections put new council members in office.

     The bill focuses on food vendors prohibiting them from using polystryene containers to dispense prepared food, starting July 1, 2018 to give them time to use inventory. Exceptions would be made for emergencies approved by the Mayor. Not included would bereuable ice chests and coolers made of foam. See a film on the meeting at www.bigislandvideonews.com.

KA`U KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK, beating Pahoa 19 to 7 in Trojan girls softball on Wednesday. The pitching starter was Le Chun Galban Kin, followed by Sheri Freitas who took over in the second inning to finish the game. Analei Emmsely hit a triple with two runs batted in. Chaunalisa Velez hit a tripple with one run batted in and Mari Carlos hit a single.

OceanView Community Development Corp. meeting, Fri, Feb 24, 5 p.m., Hawaiian Ranchos office.

JapaneseInternment on Hawai`i Island is the subject of the first Coffee Talk at Kahuku, Friday, Feb. 24 at Kahuku Unit Visitor Center at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Jade Moniz-Nakamua leads the talk on Japanese held at Kilauea Military Camp during World War II. Free.

SanctuaryOceanCount, Sat, Feb 25, 8 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., various coastal locations, several in Ka`u. Participants count humpback whales and record their behaviors. Registration required.  See hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov or 725-5923.

Ka`u HospitalCommunity Input Meeting, Sat, Feb 25, 1:30 p.m. at the hospital. Kurt Corbin, Chair of the East Hawai`i Regional Board of the Hawai`i Hospital System Corp, which oversees the hospital and clinic operations, said that "Personal conversations and dialogue with our community stakeholders are absolutely essential in helping guide the decisions that the Regional Board must make." Board members and administrators will be on hand and a financial overview and future outlook will be presented. For more information, contact Terry Larson, Regional Board Secretary at 932-3103.