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[As printed in the Capitol Connection newsletter, Volume 6, Issue 1]
The Neighborhood Connection
- Waimano Ridge Task Force -
On the evening of Wednesday, January 10th, roughly twenty community members gathered to voice their opinion regarding the Waimano Ridge property overlooking Pearl City. The Waimano Ridge Task Force, co-chaired by Senator David Ige and Laurence Lau, Deputy Director for Environmental Health, held this town meeting from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at the Pearl City Cultural Center. In an intense exchange of ideas, community members raised issues and concerns surrounding proposals for the Waimano Ridge property.
Tenant Updates
The meeting commenced with an update on the Waimano Ridge property and tenants. According to Lau, the Department of Health has requested funds for a new water system, demolition of buildings that are fire and safety hazards, and for a permanent facility manager position.
In response to previous inquiries by area managers, Lau also reported that all remaining tenants on the Waimano Ridge property are affiliated with state agencies; no non-profit nor private agencies remain.
State Laboratories Division?
The meeting proceeded with a comprehensive and informational presenation about the State Lab, detailing its primary purposes of promoting public health. The lab is an integral part of the State's frontline defense against unwanted illness, agents and viruses.
Dr. Christian Whelen, Chief of the State Laboratories Division also provided an insider's perspective as to what facilities exist atop Waimano Ridge. Whelen's comments focused on three points - laboratory credentials and certifications, improvement and refinement of laboratory capabilities and work capacity, and community support and safety.
Heated Debate: BSL3?
The main concern of the evening focused on increased safety measures for the State Lab and its employees. Lau said that State Health officials would like to upgrade its current facilities to a Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL3) from its current Level 2 (BSL2). Upgrades would ensure the public safety by addressing such issues as the lab's air stream and the disposal of its waste. Lau explained that increasing the safety level of the State Lab would allow scientists to perform tests locally, rather than send Hawaii's samples to mainland labs. This advantage saves out state tremendous time and money in its efforts to analyze dangerous agents that are found in our community. Although the State Department of Health would like to pursue certification for a higher safety designation for the State Laboratory, Lau assured the group that no action would be taken until the Department receives the community's approval.
Several reasons for increasing the safety level of the State Laboratory at Waimano?
While there are still an array of kinks to work out in the Waimano Ridge and State Laboratories Division, Senator Ige was very pleased to see strong interest and participation from local school principals and community members. It is always refreshing to see community members getting involved in the civic process and Senator Ige and his staff will continue to find resolutions that can keep the community safe and healthy.
Posted on February 21, 2007 3:53 PM | Permalink