Ka`u News Briefs June 19, 2012

Pahala Volunteer Fire Department crew tackles eucalyptus trees burning near coffee lands.  Photo by Julia Neal

THREE WIND-DRIVEN fires challenged firefighters, residents and farmers in Pahala yesterday, forcing evacuation of Ka`u Hospital and cutting off the main thoroughfare around the island. Two fires burned through the floor of macadamia orchards makai of Hwy 11. Another torched stands of eucalyptus and damaged award-winning Ka`u Coffee farms in the area known as Pear Tree. More than 1,000 acres burned yesterday, according to the county Fire Department and the fires continue today.

Windblown fire rages above Pahala. Photo by Julia Neal.

      Ka`u Coffee grower Bong Aquino said he fled from his R&G Royal Ka`u Coffee farm as the flames came to the gate. The Miranda family, with three farms, fled Pear Tree as the fire, fueled by nearby eucalyptus and gulches full of brush, raged toward their orchards. Fire marched into a eucalyptus stand adjacent to Ellis and Sokha Hester’s commercial vegetable plantings above Pahala but spared their farm.
      After cleaning out Pa`au`au gulch, one fire jumped Hwy 11 and headed up the Volcano side of Kamani Street, threatening not only the hospital but four homes owned by Al and Kelly Galimba. Firefighters quickly doused the flames and sprayed white, foaming retardant along the roadside. Helicopter pilots lifted water from an inflatable reservoir set up in the parking lot of Ka`u Hospital and carried it to the mauka and makai fires to douse hot spots, as patients in the hospital relocated to Na`alehu Community Center.

Chopper 1 lifts water
from Ka`u Hospital.
Photo by Julia Neal

Firefighter sprays foam
retardant along Kamani
St. Photo by Julia Neal

      Guy Enriques’ volleyball camp evacuated the old Pahala gym as it filled with smoke, and residents shut their windows as the ash and fumes blanketed the village. 

      ML Macadamia workers and coffee and truck farmers dug firebreaks with bulldozers and other equipment around their properties and a 10,000-gallon diesel tank on the makai side of the highway in the middle of the orchard owned by ML Macadamia. Between the orchards, fires raged through Pa`au`au and nearby gulches. Fires spread through orchards makai of Hwy 11.

      Winds died down before sunset, slowing the advancing fires. Volunteer and county firefighters worked through the night to douse the flames. Gloria Camba, president of the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, donated coffee and pastries to firefighters who came from around the island and spent then night.
      Hwy 11 was re-opened first to traffic headed toward Volcano, allowing traffic to skirt through Pahala town. At 8:50 p.m. yesterday, the stretch between the two entrances to Pahala was re-opened.

Berta Miranda and coffee farmers wait below the raging fires after escaping from coffee farms at Pear Tree.
Photo by William Neal

      This morning, firefighters, ML Macadamia and Olson Trust crews. along with highway workers watched Keaiwa and Ka`ala`ala gulches, anticipating another flareup and another possible closure of Hwy 11 should the winds return.

      Ka`u Coffee growers found many farms to be less damaged than expected. Gloria Camba and Bong Aquino found that the fire had burned around their coffee trees and damaged windbreak. 

     The most affected farms, with many coffee trees unlikely to recover, are those of Godofredo Miranda, Rosita Avenue, Sixto Asuncion and Melchor Fernandez, Aquino reported.
      He also said that lands at Higashi Camp, an abandoned sugar cane community, were still smoldering. Smoke and ash blanketed the region this morning and such businesses as Ka`u Coffee Mill let their employees go home to avoid poor air quality.

Fires mauka and makai of  Pahala are visible from Henry Opukahala Chapel at Punalu`u. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

AIR IN HOMES AND WORK PLACES can be managed for vog, according to a presentation given to County Council’s Human Services, Social Services and Public Safety Commission yesterday. Professor Bernadette Longo, of the University of Nevada at Reno, based her research on information the state collected using air monitors. Stephens Media reports her saying that different housing construction types can help prevent too much exposure to sulfur dioxide and particulates. “A modern house construction can have just 15 percent to 23 percent vog penetration inside, even with open windows, compared with a single-wall, plantation-style home, which can have 56 percent to 69 percent vog penetration.” 

      Longo’s research shows that, with prevailing trade winds, Pahala has relatively clean air from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Knowing such patterns is “really good for the community,” she said. The information can help schools and residents plan outdoor activities.
      Longo encourages government to educate residents about prevention of and symptoms of overexposure to vog. She also stressed the need for updated emergency response plans and improved shelters.

Reintroduction of `alala is part of the Ka`u Forest Reserve plan.

PUBLIC COMMENTS for Ka`u Forest Reserve Draft Environmental Assessment are due Friday. The plan calls for fencing a portion of the 61,000 acres of state forest between Na`alehu and Pahala. The fencing would be mauka of 4,000 feet. 

      The plan is to restore and maintain key watersheds and to protect native species from the negative effects of invasive animals, particularly ungulates. Once invasive threats are under control, the DLNR hopes to release the `alala, native Hawaiian crow, from captive breeding after being extinct in the wild since 2002. The plan includes public access for hunters, gatherers and hikers and stresses the importance of many native forest species for Hawaiian cultural use. The plan would be implemented over a 15-year time frame.
      Copies of the plan’s Draft EA can be read at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.
      Send original comments to Ron Terry at Geometrician Associates, PO Box 396, Hilo, HI 96721. Copies should be sent to Tanya Rubenstein at Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife,1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 131, Honolulu, HI 96813.
      For information regarding the plan, contact Mililani Browning of DOFAW at 933-3171 or mililani.browning@gmail.com. For information regarding the Environmental Assessment, contact Ron at (808) 969-7090 or rterry@hawaii.rr.com.

Paul Kehliihoomalu points out a fountain grass plant
bearing seeds. Photo from David Benitez/NPS

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK hosts two musical events tomorrow. Kenneth Makuakane shares original songs from his latest albums, The Dash, White Bath Tub, Makuakane and other award-winning composition at 10 a.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center. At 6:30 p.m., Aloha Festivals Hawaiian falsetto contest winner Kai Ho`opi`i shares music of his `ohana at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. The events are free, and park entrance fees apply. 

VOLUNTEERS ARE INVITED to work with Ocean View Community Association and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park staff to remove invasive fountain grass from roadsides in Ocean View Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is a highly flammable bunch grass native to North Africa. “This fire-promoting plant spreads quickly, and is one of the few invasive species that can colonize young lava flows that would otherwise serve as natural firebreaks, said HVNP ecologist David Benitez. “It aggressively chokes out native plants and increases fire potential in natural areas.”
      Volunteers meet at Ocean View Community Center at 9 a.m. Bring lunch, water, a hat and sunscreen. For more information, contact Benitez at 985-6085 or david_benitez@nps.gov.

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Ka`u News Briefs June 18, 2012

Pahala Volunteer Fire Department chief Ron Ebert has been hoping for the shelter for his equipment for years. The
garage is out to bid for construction. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS will soon be able to enjoy new garages for their fire trucks in Pahala and Na`alehu. The county Department of Public Works posted a description of the $75,000 project was to bring in estimates from qualified contractors. The bids close on June 21, and changes in the project were announced today.
      The new Pahala Disaster Shelter & Gym also went out for bidding, which closed on June 12. The estimate for the construction budget for the facility next to Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School is listed by the Department of Public Works as $16.5 million. The engineering, design, planning and permitting studies cost more than $1 million and were conducted by Matsunaga & Associates Architects, Inc. of Honolulu.
      Another recent public works project in Ka`u was repairing and re-roofing Pahala Community Center. That construction contract went to Certified Construction, Inc., of Honolulu, and the cost was $106,436.

Strong winds and waves are expected to create high surf and perhaps some
action at this South Point blow hole. Photo by Peter Anderson from 2007

CIVIL DEFENSE OFFICIALS are warning drivers to use extreme caution when traveling today. A gale warning is issued for seas, and high wind warnings and advisories on land are the outlook. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Pahala and South Point to Miloli`i, where winds are gusting up to 50 mph and more. Upslope on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea for elevations above 8,000 feet, a high wind warning with gusts up to 80 mph is issued through 6 p.m. 

      These strong winds can bring down tree branches and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles, the National Weather Service warns. Drivers should use extra caution on roadways.
      When a power pole snapped in two yesterday evening in North Kohala, more than 5,900 people lost power.
      The winds are being caused by a high-pressure system Northeast of the islands and should reduce to moderate strength on Tuesday and Wednesday.
      There is also a gale warning through 6 p.m. today for the Alenuihaha and Pailolo Channels along with waters south of the Big Island. A small craft advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday for all other Hawaiian waters and channels.

Tulsi Gabbard

Mufi Hannemann

TULSI GABBARD and MUFI HANNEMANN are in a dead heat to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a poll by Civil Beat released this morning. The office, currently held by Rep. Mazie Hirono, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat of Dan Akaka, who is retiring, serves Ka`u, Volcano and all rural Hawai`i. 

      Civil Beat surveyed voters twice in the past two weeks and reported that Gabbard has “overcome a 45-point deficit with the former Honolulu mayor two months before the Democratic primary likely to determine Hawai`i’s new representative in Congress.” The latest poll showed Hannemann with 34 percent and Gabbard with 33 percent. Bob Marx and Esther Kia`aina were at 10 percent. Twelve percent of voters were undecided. 

      Civil Beat found the following:

Esther Kia`aina

Bob Marx

      Of those who picked jobs and the economy as their top priority, 39 percent backed Gabbard and 38 percent Hannemann;      

      Of those who said debt was the number one issue, Gabbard scored 37 percent and Hannemann 36 percent;
      Of those who identified the environment and energy as most important, Hannemann got 25 percent to Gabbard’s 24 percent. This last issue was a strong area for both Marx, with 20 percent, and Kia`aina, with 16 percent.

GAS PRICES DROPPED LAST WEEK. Statewide, retail prices fell 8.7 cents per gallon, averaging $4.36/gallon yesterday. The national average dropped to $3.53 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HawaiiGasPrices.com.

      Prices yesterday in Hawai`i were still 33.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago, but 12.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 17.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 12.6 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. 

Na`alehu Fourth of July parade is on June 30.
Photo by Julia Neal

      GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said that gas prices could go up “as markets feel more upbeat about the economic situation.”
      Here are the current prices for regular gasoline in Ka`u: at Ka`u Gas in Pahala, $4.60 per gallon; at Wiki-Wiki 76 in Na`alehu, $4.56 per gallon; at Ocean View Market, $4.56 per gallon; at Kahuku Country Market in Ocean View, $4.62 per gallon; and at Spirit Gas in Ocean View, $4.68 per gallon.

THERE IS STILL TIME to sign up to participate in Fourth of July parades. Na`alehu’s parade rolls down Hwy 11 on Saturday, June 30 at 11 a.m. from the Hongwanji to Na`alehu Elementary school. Community groups, local businesses, elected officials and candidates are invited to show their patriotism. Call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.
      Volcano Village’s parade takes place Wednesday, July 4 at 9 a.m., starting at the post office and following Old Volcano Road to Wright Road, where it turns left to Cooper Center. The celebration continues with an arts and crafts fair, silent auction, live music and entertainment. Parade registration deadline is June 27. For more, see volcanocommunity.org or coopercenter.org.

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Ka`u News Briefs June 17, 2012

Farmers are frustrated by lack of federally required state rules for pesticide use around water. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI`I IS THE ONLY STATE failing to comply with new federal regulations to control pesticides sprayed in and around waterways, according to a story in Civil Beat, quoting Environmental Protection Agency officials. “The delay is angering local farmers and state agriculture officials who for months haven’t been able to spray pesticides to control invasive species that are threatening native habitats or fight weeds that are choking out irrigation ditches,” the story by Sophie Cocke reports. 

      All states were mandated to come up with new permitting procedures under the federal Clean Water Act by last Oct. 31. However, Hawai`i health officials are delayed in their review of rules and process, and may not finish for another two months, the story reports.
     Gary Gill, deputy director for Environmental Health for the state Department of Health, told Civil Beat that the Health Department was hoping that Congress would eliminate the requirement altogether. “Pesticide spraying had been regulated under different federal laws, and those permits are still required. But spraying is blocked until the new Clean Water Act permit is also in place,” the Civil Beat story notes, leaving farmers, state and road crews and other users of pesticides vulnerable to legal action if they spray without the permit.

Weeds choke streams and irrigation ways in Ka`u, compromising water
for agriculture and conservation efforts. Photo by Julia Neal

      Civil Beat was told by EPA environmental scientist Elizabeth Sablad that pesticide users could face suits by environmental groups for spraying without permits. Russell Kokubun, chief of the state Department of Agriculture, told Civil Beat that the delay could hurt farmers and ranchers who depend on water from open ditches and flumes that require spraying to prevent them from clogging. Also affected are conservation groups attempting to spray for invasive weeds in areas where they are attempting to plant and protect native plant species.
      The Department of Health is currently working on responding to public comments on its proposed pesticide rules. The Hawai`i Farm Bureau opposed the new oversight nationally, contending that it places a burden on farmers with another layer of bureaucratic tape, the Civil Beat story says. However, according to Civil Beat, Kokubun, who is also a former farmer and was a leading champion of local agriculture as a state senator, said that he thought regulating pesticides under the Clean Water Act was a good thing, and noted that the state has known for years about the requirements.
       “I don’t think this caught anybody by surprise,” said Kokubun. “Obviously, if the EPA is saying we were the only state not to comply, the others were well aware of the situation and took the necessary steps to address it.” See more at civilbeat.com.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE signed more bills into law on Friday. In addition to the agriculture bills reported on yesterday, Abercrombie signed the following bills: 

      House Bill 1764 allows state and county officials to waive residency requirements for department heads, deputies and assistants when a candidate with highly specialized or scientific knowledge is unavailable locally; 

      House Bill 2476 makes appropriations for claims against the state or its officers or employees;
      House Bill 2848 requires the Department of Public Safety to plan for a model wellness center that employs native Hawaiian cultural practices on state land;
      Senate Bill 2228 establishes an electronic tracking system for the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in the street drug ice;
      Senate Bill 2508 amends filing deadlines for preliminary disclosure reports to the Campaign Spending Commission;
      Senate Bill 2632 relieves all timeshare sales from having to be recorded in the land court. The recording goes instead into the general system;
      Senate Bill 2797 makes permanent changes to the psychotropic medication statute that ensures access to medically necessary psychotropic medications while allowing cost-effective strategies.
      The governor has signed 128 bills passed by the 2012 state Legislature. The deadline is June 25 for him to notify the Legislature of any bills he may veto. July 10 is the deadline for Abercrombie to enact measures with his signature. For a complete list of measures enacted by the governor, visit www.capitol.hawaii.gov/report.aspx?type=acts.

REQUIRING EMERGENCY PLANS for possible geothermal accidents goes to a final vote at the County Council on Tuesday. However, Hawai`i County’s new Civil Defense chief Ben Fuata says that the county’s existing incident command system already provides sufficient evacuation procedures, according to a Tom Callis story in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today.
      The story notes that Fuata said last month he would come up with a plan for the existing Puna Geothermal plant and conduct a drill, but later reviewed the existing plan and found it acceptable and a drill unnecessary. He said that, should other geothermal plants be built on the island, he will study them to see if additional emergency planning is necessary. According to the West Hawai`i Today story, the Civil Defense director described a geothermal incident: “It’s the same protocol we would follow as if one of the fuel tankers (exploded),” he said.
      The bill, proposed by County Council chair Dominic Yagong, would require a site-specific plan for any geothermal within 90 days of it starting operations.

Midway Island, a sanctuary for albatross that can live and reproduce for
more than 60 years, has so far escaped arrival of debris from the Japan
tsunami. Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is also on the lookout for debris coming
to Ka`u. Photo by Andy Collins/NOAA 

MIDWAY ATOLL, with its wildlife sanctuary, may have dodged tsunami debris from the Japan tsunami. U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials report they are prepared but have not seen the kind of debris that is washing up, like several fishing boats that landed on Washington and Oregon beaches and the large ship that drifted offshore of Alaska. 

HAWAI`I HEALTH CARE CONNECTOR will be the name of the new Hawai`i state-based insurance exchange. Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced last week that Hawai`i will be the first state to sign up for this component of the Obama health care reform law, which requires states to set up such exchanges by 2014. He said he recently notified the U.S. Health and Human Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight about the formation of the private, nonprofit corporation to establish the exchange as a quasi-government entity.

Kenneth Makuakane

KENNETH MAKUAKANE shares original songs from his latest albums, The Dash, White Bath Tub, Makuakane and other award-winning composition Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The concert is free, and park entrance fees apply.

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