|
November 5, 2017, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Carroll discusses the upcoming seminar, "PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN A POLARIZED ERA, The Good, the Bad, the Future". It appears the purpose of the discussion is how to organize and restrict the public comment process regarding the impact developmental projects have on the environment in Hawaii. If you participate in public comment on major projects, or are concerned about a project's impacts on the environment, you may be concerned about what is being presented and proposed at this seminar. You should also be concerned about the government's attempt to restrict the public's
participation in government processes. Carroll explains why.
Note, this seminar relates to House Concurrent Rule HCR120, proposed 3//9/17, with little public notification. HCR120 proposes to "apply consistent standards to all applicants and agencies, follow statutory intent, and brief legislators on guidance and interpretations of law." This is something that is already being done, so one
wonders what more HCR120 and this seminar propose to do.
Bridget Hammerquist and Eileen Kechloian call in to discuss their concerns about the goals of the seminar. Bridget, Eileen, and their organization, Friends of Maha'ulepu, are regular guests on our show, discussing their opposition to the proposed industrial dairy on Kauai. Bridget tells
us
what Friends of Maha'ulepu has achieved in requiring Hawaii Dairy Farms to complete a final Environmental Impact Study and obtain proper permits and approvals before they can move ahead with an industrial dairy Hawaii Dairy Farms has already started building. Friends of Maha'ulepu faced many challenges and obstacles in their work to achieve a court ruling about something that should have been done from the beginning. They are still concerned the state
will allow the dairy to be built, in spite of the impact such a large dairy will have on the local community. See Friends of Maha'ulepu's webpage for more information.
Amy Hennessey from Hawaii Dairy Farms, and Ulupono Initiative, a participant in the dairy project, are major participants in the upcoming seminar. Some believe they had a role in authoring the language of HCR120. Ulupono Initiative has written testimony in support
of HCR 120 "Requesting the Office of Environmental Quality
Control Apply Consistent Standards to All Applicants and Agencies, Follow Statutory Intent of the Legislature and Update Legislators on Guidance Updates and Interpretations". We suspect they will most likely be using the dairy project as an example of problems they are facing in completing their projects due to the public comment process.
The seminar will take place December 1 and 2, 2017, at University of Hawaii's East-West Center. See the attached notice. Pay particular attention to the section "Why This Gathering?".
If you would like to attend, the link to register is : http://www.accord3.com/pg1019.cfm.
|
|
-
-
-
-
- Wave
of the future
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
