Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 7, 1 September 1984 — OTEC and Waianae [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OTEC and Waianae

By Ha\den Burgess Trustee, O'ahu

We who live in the Waianae area are taking a serious look at a proposed Oeean Thermal Energy Conversion project for Kahe Point whieh stands at the doorway of our community. OTEC is a method of

using the difference in the ocean's surface and deep water temperature to generate "heat" over the effects such a project will have on the lifestyle of the people of the Waianae community. At a recent meeting, the community aired its feelings regarding the proposed project. One major eoneem was the experimental nature of the project. Many in the community felt the project had not been thought out and tested sufficiently to merit testing it in the waters of the Waianae coast. Specifically, there remains uncertainty over the large amounts of fish eggs and larvae whieh will be sucked into the massive structure placed off-shore. Some fishermen are concerned about the effect of the awa and the aku grounds there. Another eoneem is the siltation whieh will po!lute the reefs resulting in posioningthe fishfeedingonthereefand passing such poison to all involved in the fishfood cycle, including especially the great Hawaiian fish and limu-eating eommunities from Nanakuli to Waianae. Eating a poisoned llsh ean cause serious injury and death. Another eoneem is the questionable ef-

fect the discharge of ammonia and chlorine into the oeean waters may have on the oeean life. Such ammonia and chlorine is used in the OTEC process of converting steam from the ocean's temperature differences. Others questioned the effect such a large structure will have on the currents in that area whieh may destroy a prime surfing location, or the effect of changing the oeean temperature resulting in attracting sharks to a popular swimming spot. OTEC may be the impetus to develop a new concept in oeean law. OTEC has attracted over 1 1/2 billion in financial eommitments to such experiments. Investors from around the world are looking to join in this experiment and the profits it ean brings. The State appears to want to attract such investments into Hawaiian waters. But many ol' us feel that this proposal will cause a majorsocial upheaval similar to that whieh followed the mahele of 1848. The oeean will no Ionger be open to all. Foreign investors will plaee their kapu signs along a string of structures off-shore whieh will surround our islands like the oil wells found in Texas. Are we so greedy for the American dollar as to sell our ehildren's right to a elean and open oeean? Angel Pilago, moderator for that eommunity meeting, also sits as a member of the Waianae Neighborhood Board whieh recently voted against the OTEC project. OTEC and its corollary, OCEAN LEASING will probably be considered at the next legislative session by the Senate Eeonomie Development committee of whieh James Aki, Senator from the Waianae district, is chairman.