Video by David Corrigan, voice of Stephanie Salazar

PAHOA, Hawaii: Concerned members of the Puna community gathered this weekend to take part in the Geothermal Public Health Assessment Study Group.

The group intends to inventory the existing health studies related to geothermal power plants and the group plans to develop a set of recommendations about preferred methodologies for future scientific and monitoring studies.

Last year, renewed and organized opposition to geothermal power emerged, threatening to derail the recent push by state and county officials to make greater use of the resource to meet the island’s energy needs,

Dr. Peter Adler has been contracted by the County administration to act as a third party neutral in the contentious issue. Adler moderated Sunday’s meeting, which was held on the campus of the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The Puna community is well represented in the group, even outspoken geothermal opponents like Bob Petrucci. Puna Geothermal Venture plant manager Mike Kaleikini was also in the audience, as was Puna councilman Greggor Illagan.

One of the big guests on the day was Dr Kaye Kilburn… Considered to be one of the of the leading experts on Hydrogen Sulfide health effects in the world.

He has been visiting the Puna area this week, talking to the community and sharing his thoughts with the working group.

For those interesting on getting updated on the process, visit Adler’s “Accord 3.0” website at this address: www.accord3.com/pg69.cfm, where you can join the mailing list or read related documents.