Letters | 10-21-14

It’s time for cesspool owners to do their part

There have been a lot of letters to the editor lately on the Hawaii Department of Health’s proposal requiring the conversion of cesspools. While I understand that conversion to septic tanks or sewer can be expensive and have an economic impact, not converting them may have even a larger negative impact. If we don’t have a clean ocean and drinking water, our visitor industry will suffer. Some people will lose their jobs. Even some current residents may move away and other people who are considering moving here may go elsewhere. This could have a huge impact on our economy and real estate values.

Also, please consider that those of us who are on well-designed and maintained septic tanks or sewer systems have already paid our share of the cost for clean water. I feel that it is now the turn of cesspool owners to do their part.

That being said, perhaps there will need to be some exceptions for small lots and steep slopes. Additonally, perhaps the state can make available some financing options, such as loans secured by the property in question. Also consider that cesspool conversion will increase property value.

The Big Island has more than half the cesspools in the state. Why were these cesspools allowed in the first place? Contact the DOH and legislators and support the DOH proposal.

Bob Smith

Kona

Replace TMT with space-based telescope

Large Earth-based telescopes are already obsolete. The Thirty Meter Telescope, considered by some to be an utter sacrilege, when completed will stand out like a sore thumb on Mauna Kea, and could easily be replaced by a space-based telescope.

All of the countries mentioned in the article have a space program, so there should not be any problems launching and maintaining a telescope. All that would be needed on the ground would be data links between telescopes and ground stations.

Dave Kisor

Pahoa