From West Hawaii Today:

A total of 272 Hawaii Island residents have called upon Gov. Neil Abercrombie to put an immediate halt to all plans for expanding Hawaii’s geothermal industry until better means of oversight can be put in place.

An April 10 letter was distributed to the press on May 8. It refers to a March 13 incident in which electricity powering Puna Geothermal Venture and the surrounding community was cut, and the plant vented steam into the air.

“To protect the plant from overpressure damage, we are told 125,000 pounds of geothermal brine components were vented to the atmosphere over a period of 15 to 20 minutes. This is at least the 60th reported release we’ve experienced in the last 20 years,” the letter reads. “Only now, many of us are learning that this type of industrial pollution is occurring with little or no government oversight.”

The letter says public confidence in geothermal as a viable alternative energy source has been eroded due to a “hands off approach to regulation.” Read the full story.

And here’s the latest in other neighbor isle gov’t and politics:

Habitat turns over keys to new Anahola homes

Inmate had violent past

Loss of service a real blow, says Maui attorney to judge

Proposal: Change Alii to one-way

Lahaina teacher to participate in Hokulea’s Worldwide Voyage

Kaunakakai students build ukulele and ohana

Big Island, Big trees

Photo courtesy levork.

—Chad Blair