Assurances not enough for precious isle aquifer

Thank you for the front-page article, “Human error, not aging tanks, caused fuel spill, Navy says” (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 27).

It only compounds my belief that no amount of additional safety checks and inspections by the Navy will keep us safe. Studies conducted on these tanks conclude that there is a 80% chance of further leaking in the next five years.

That aquifer 100 feet below the tanks feeds 400,000 people from Halawa to Hawaii Kai. It includes the financial center of Honolulu and the tourist center of Waikiki. Moreover, it provides for all our family and friends in our island ohana.

This is an islandwide health crisis. This is a statewide financial crisis. This is a national defense crisis.

Helen T. Nakano

Manoa

Don’t let solar farm ruin cultural, historic sites

Preserve the cultural and historic sites (“Solar farm planned amid cultural, historic sites,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 25). My recommended solutions to the power needs of those Ewa Beach homes are:

>> Homeowners can buy their own solar panels just like the rest of Honolulu homeowners.

>> If it is the state of Hawaii’s desire to ease the demand on the electricity grid, maybe our state elected officials should require all newly constructed homes and businesses to have solar panels as part of the permitting process. It should be the individual homeowner’s responsibility as well as the businesses’, not the taxpayers of all of Hawaii.

>> For the solar company, you were aware of the cultural and historic sites during your site survey; you should have selected a different location or different technology that would work for the reduced project area, instead of infringing on the cultural and historic areas of Hawaii.

Kenneth Takasaki

Kapahulu

If only millions for items got spent for public good

I keep reading about the rich paying incredulous amount of money for things to feed their egos.

One million dollars for a pair of Michael Jordan’s shoes, $10 million for a postage stamp and countless millions more just because they can afford it.

Can you imagine if the money spent on personal items that are beyond their needs would instead be used to fund our public schools, provide scholarships for those who can’t afford the tuition, fund the homeless shelters, etc.? One can only dream.

Cliff Toyama

Moanalua

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