Ka`u News Briefs March 27, 2011

Ko Aloha `Ukulele were built from koa by Ka`u youth. The group visited KAHU FM 91.7                            Photo by Julia Neal 

LAVA RETURNED TO KILAUEA VOLCANO’S EAST RIFT ZONE yesterday after a 17-day pause in eruptive activity. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports the eruption began at 10:09 a.m. inside Pu‘u ‘O‘o, with lava slowly filling the deepest parts of the crater. The event was heralded by a brief seismic tremor burst, in which tremor levels doubled and tslowly decreases. Jim Kauahikaua, Scientist in Charge, said, “Lava is currently confined to the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater and, so far, poses no threat to structures within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park or outside Park boundaries.”  

Composite photo from temporary webcam placed at Pu`O`o shows new lava.
                                                                                                     Photo from HAVO

      On March 5, Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater’s floor, on which lava accumulated to a depth of nearly 250 feet during the past year, began to collapse. A fissure opened southwest of Pu‘u ‘O‘o and fountains of lava erupted, extending to Napau Crater. Lava continued to erupt from this  Ka-moa-moa fissure until the night of March 9, when all activity on Kilauea’s east rift zone paused. Since then, no lava had erupted from east rift zone vents until yesterday. Visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Web site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov and see the webcam.

Triangles show hot spot targets of firefighters who control the Napau Fire, which has burned more than 2,00 acres.
                                                                                                                                                             Map from Napau Fire Crew

 THE NAPAU FIRE containment has reached beyond 50 percent with firefighters working on hot spots throughout the 2,000 acres of burned forest. The team from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and from other national parks, national forests and recreational areas on the mainland  has protected Special Ecological Areas. The fires was ignited by lava from the eruption that began March 5.

Alan Okami, of Ko Aloha,  Keoki Kahumoku
                                        Photo by Julia Neal

MORE THAN 30 `UKULELE are going home with the youth of Ka`u this weekend after an `ukulele building workshop sponsored by Ko Aloha `Ukulele, Keioki Kahumoku, the Queen Liliu`okalani Trust, Pahala Plantation Cottages and the Edmund C. Olson Trust. Alan and Paul Okami, of Ko Aloha `Ukulele, which manufactures the musical instruments on O`ahu, brought their crew to Pahala to teach students how to build them. The `ukulele are made of koa and the workshop saw parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles helping the younger children to construct their `ukulele. Ko Aloha has sponsored similar workshops on Moloka`i and plans to come back to Ka`u for another `ukulele build in October.

ABOUT FACE, JUMP START AND COMMUNITY ALL STARS programs, which have been helping Ka`u youth for years with after-school training, are all on the chopping block and they end in April. The reason is a cut in federal funding that comes was going to the state Department of Defense and managed by the Paxen Group. The program not only eliminates training for youth, it eliminates employment for the Ka`u residents who teach the young people. Also unlikely, this summer, is a program that hired more than 100 Ka`u youth for summer jobs at such places at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the hospital and for community groups throughout the district.

Jump Start kids raised money to help a family whose house burned in Na`alehu. The Jump Start, All Star and About Face programs are being dropped.
                                                                                                                                                                            Photo by India Young

 THE DAMAGE FROM THE JAPAN TUSNAMI that reached our shores on March 11 totals more than $30 million to the Islands, according to state estimates. Gov. Neil Abercrombie asked for the Small Business Administration to help homeowners, businesses, nonprifits and renters with low-interest loans for repairs on the Big Island. On the southside it was homes in Honomolino, Okoe and Kapua Bays that were damaged. The governor will also ask Pres. Barack Obama for a disaster declaration which would provide some reimbursement to counties for repair of public infrastructure, like Ali`i Drive in Kona.

No dangerous radiation  here, but more evacuations possible in Japan.

RADIATION CONTINUES TO ESCAPE from the damaged nuclear reactor farm on the northern coast of Honshu Island. Nuclear expert Joe Cirincione said that he doesn’t expect any radiation problem here. 

However, the end result could be spikes of radiation in Japan and the possibility of thousands more people 

      Small amounts of radiation have reached Las Vegas, but in tiny amounts and the health departments say not to worry.

Ka`u News Briefs March 26, 2011

History of the Napua Fire, ignited by lava on March 5, was 50 percent contained by March 26,. Mainland firefighters help out.

THE NAPAU FIRE is more than 50 percent contained, following heavy rains over two days and an aggressive mop-up and fire suppression. The fire is confined to the perimeter with 50 firefighters, fire management staff and park resource advisors working to protect the Special Ecological Areas at Kealakomo and Naula. Firefighters from other national parks, national forests and recreational areas on the mainland have been helping and Chain of Craters Road is open again. The fire was sparked March 5 by the Kamoamoa Fissure Eruption. There are currently no active lava flows in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

BUILDING A NEW COMMUNITY-BASED re-entry program between Hilo and Ka`u to help bring inmates from the mainland back home to Hawai`i is the subject of resolutions introduced by Sen. Gill Kahele and Rep. Bob Herkes at the 2011 Legislature. A public hearing will be held Thursday, March 31 at the Capitol. One proposal is to build the facility on Hawaiian Homes Land and a committee to study the issue would included the chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission as well as representatives from the Pana`ewa Community and Farmers Associations. A bill introduced by Herkes would establish a prison for 1,000 to 1,200 inmates on unoccupied Hawaiian Home Lands.

The home of the PUC in the Territorial Building in Honolulu.

THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION is expected to be revamped through legislation. A proposal would add commissioners and require more public notice and public input before decisions are made. The Keahole Defense Fund supports amendments to the PUC law, saying that current regulations do not require the PUC to hold open meetings or vote in public. The consumer advocate and utility are allowed to negotiate without much public participation, testified Keahole Defense attorney Michael Matsuaka. The PUC would receive more funding to cover its wide berth of responsibilities, from regulating interisland ocean transportation to dealing with electrical rates and the emergence of the renewable energy industry.

The Ka`u water system is over 100 years old.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE  CHAIR Russell Kokubun has been battling for money to repair water systems around the state that fell into disrepair after the sugar industry shut down. He testified to the 2011 Legislature that “irrigation systems provide an essential resource to farms. Most of the systems are over 100 years old and are in need of significant improvements to reduce water losses and maintenance costs,” he said . Kokubun said repairs are needed to move Hawai‘i toward a more sustainable future. The measure is supported by the Hawai`i Farm Bureau and other pro ag organizations. The bill, which is also being promoted by Sen. Gil Kahele and Rep. Bob Herkes would allow the state to issue bonds to fund the Ka`u Irrigation System between Pahala and Na`alehu with $500,000 in 2011 and 2012, and another $2 million in 2012 – 2013, along with other irrigation projects around the state. It passed the Senate and has gone to House Finance.

ANOTHER AG BILL that lost traction in the legislature would have allowed agricultural inspectors to be trained and hired by contract in such remote areas as Ka`u. The bill was supported by a number of Ka`u coffee farmers who say they are experiencing problems with getting their coffee inspected before shipping out. The inspectors are in Kona where Ka`u farmers do not want to take their clean coffee and vehicles since Kona is the hotbead of the coffee cherry borers, Hypothenemus hampei, which could ride back to Ka`u on vehicles. Megan Collins of Paradise Orchard and bee Farm testified for the measure as a director of the Ka`u Farm Bureau. Coffee farmer Effran Abellera testified that he doesn't want his coffee going to Kona. Coffee farmer Lorie Obra also supported the measure along with Ka`u Farm Bureau President and statewide Farm Bureau vice president Chris Manfredi who also testified on behalf of Ka`u Farm & Ranch, which manages land where many of the Ka`u farmers have their coffee.

         The Department of Agriculture and Hawai`i Government Employees union opposed the measure, saying that it would be difficult to ensure quality and consistency of an independent agent’s work performance and that the measure would privatize the inspection function of the Department of Ag. The HGEA testified that  higher costs, lower quality of services and loss of accountability are some of the common results of the privatization of government services and recommended restoring inspector jobs that were cut from the department under Gov. Linda Lingle’s administration. Coffee farmers said they are documenting added costs of transportation and time going to Kona and added risks taken that could bring coffee borers to their farms. They said they hope inspectors will come here.

DENGUE FEVER is in Pearl City on O`ahu and even though that seems far away, the state Department of Health encourages everyone to disperse standing water that hosts mosquitoes to prevent the spread of the disease across the island. Dengue is more common in more tropical places. Dengue fever is a virus and causes a sudden high fever and a flat red rash, headache, aching joints and muscles. Hydration is important during the illness. Anyone thinking they have the virus should contact a physician for treatment and so the health department can track the outbreak.

Ka`u News Briefs March 25, 2011

Plastics from around the world float onto the remote beaches of Ka`u, and young people help to clean it up
in honor of Marine Debris Awareness Week.  Photo by Megan Lamson

THE PROPOSED CIP BUDGET for Ka`u is being hashed out between the County Council and Mayor Billy Kenoi. Projects with money attached are the Na`alehu and Pahala large capacity cesspools for which $6,215,000 is listed, Ocean View recycling and transfer station with $500,000 listed and Na`alehu Police Station repairs with $75,000.
     The biggest CIP projects are with the state, including $20 million proposed for a gymnasium at the old tennis courts in Pahala on county land. The building would also serve as a disaster shelter and would be funded through bonds issued by the state through Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Both former County Council member Guy Enriques and current council member Brittany Smart worked on the proposal. The county Department of Public Works, Planning, the mayor’s office and Department of Parks and Recreation are coming up with a design-build plan for the governor. Another project in Ka`u is the long-awaited elevation of Hwy 11 near Kawa, which frequently floods, cutting off traffic and blocking access to the hospital in Pahala from Na`alehu.

NEW TRANSFER AND RECYCLING CENTERS for Volcano and Wai`ohinu are on the back burner for now. Council member Brittany Smart set up a meeting between residents and representatives of the county solid waste division in Volcano last night and Ocean View residents on Wednesday night to review plans for the area. These District 6 Matters meetings were specifically on solid waste, and Smart plans a series of such meetings on specific concerns, which she will take to each community.

Ocean View has a serious illegal dumping problem, and building a
permanent transfer and recycling station is high on the county's list.
Photo from EIS, Ocean View Recycling Point & Convenience Center

     Volcano residents talked about a big need for getting rid of green waste, and Ocean View residents were anxious to see a more permanent transfer and recycling station. County representatives said that the Ocean View station is a top priority and that plans for a brand new Wai`ohinu transfer station have been set aside.
    Terin Gloor, who has been working for the county on the Ocean View solid waste, reviewed the plans for which environmental impact statements and design have been in progress for more than five years. Residents currently have a temporary container that is hauled in and out each week. They formerly had to drive toward Kona or to Wai`ohinu to get rid of rubbish, and dumping has long been a serious problem in Ocean View. Wai`ohinu has a wall in need of repair for which the county will try to find money.

THIS IS MARINE DEBRIS AWARENESS WEEK, and the fifth annual International Marine Debris Conference is being held in Hawai`i. Conferees are developing a commitment from international representatives to reduce ocean dumping that would cut back on trash that reaches some of the most remote places in the world, including the Ka`u Coast, where volunteers routinely clean up. According to conference proceedings, marine debris results in major consequences for marine habitats, biodiversity, human health and the global economy. 

Beach debris hauled in from the Ka`u Coast includes many plastics.
Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund

     At least 267 marine species are affected by entanglement in or ingestion of marine debris, including 86 percent of all sea turtles species, 44 percent of all seabird species and 43 percent of all marine mammal species.
     There is growing concern over the potential impact on human health of toxic substances released by plastic waste in the ocean. The culprits are microplastics comprised of disintegrating plastic items or lost plastic pellets used by industry, which can accumulate contaminants linked to cancer, reproductive problems and other health risks. Scientists are studying whether these contaminants can enter the food chain when microplastics are ingested by marine animals.
     Marine debris may house communities of invasive species which can disrupt marine habitats and ecosystems. Heavy items of marine debris can damage habitats such as coral reefs and affect the foraging and feeding habits of marine animals.
     The commitment that came from the conference is called the Honolulu Strategy, and one of its main goals is to reduce both land and ocean sources of marine debris, and to educate people and governments to see waste as a resource to be managed. It calls for public awareness campaigns on the negative impacts of improper waste disposal – targeting street litter, illegal dumping of rubbish and poorly managed waste dumps.
     The Republic of Korea is being held up as an example. It has a policy of Extended Producer Responsibility, enforced since 2003, targeting paper, glass, iron, aluminum and plastic as well as batteries, tires and lubricating oil. This initiative has resulted in the recycling of six million metric tons of waste in five years, increasing Korea’s recycling rate by 14 percent and creating economic benefits equivalent to $1.6 billion. Marine resources expert Megan Lamson, of Ka`u, is attending the conference, which has the theme Global Lessons to Inspire Local Action.

New concerns out of Japan for
more serious radiation leaks.

A GREATER CONCERN FOR RADIATION from the broken nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan is emerging, with the Japanese government worried that a breached reactor may be releasing radiation longer lasting and more dangerous than Iodine-131. The reactor uses MOX fuel, a combination of plutonium and uranium, which releases radiation that can make towns and agricultural areas wastelands. The Japanese government is hoping to contain the radiation but is considering expanding the restrictive zone around the nuclear plant and may ask tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Hawai`i health officials say there is small risk of the radiation reaching Hawai`i in any dangerous doses.