Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022

The county reports to its Environmental Management Commission next Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. regarding closing Large
Capacity Cesspools in Pahala and Naalehu and replacement options. The meeting will be held in Kona and is available on zoom. See more below. Illustration from Hawai'i County

CONSERVE ENERGY. That's the word from Hawaiian Electric, which asked Hawaiʻi Island customers to reduce use of electricity from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday evening.
    "The need to conserve is urgent tonight and is prompted by the unavailability of three major generators. Hawaiian Electric's Hill 5 unit unexpectedly tripped offline this afternoon and two units at the Keahole Power Plant are undergoing annual scheduled maintenance. These units usually supply about 50 megawatts of power. In addition, wind resources are forecast to be low," says the statement from Hawaiian Electric.

    "Hawaiian Electric may not have enough firm generating capacity available to meet the evening peak demand. Energy conservation can help reduce demand so that even minimal wind resources may be able to offset any shortfall. Suggested steps include turning off or reducing use of lights and air conditioners, delaying showers, laundry and dishwashing activities, and going out for dinner or minimizing cooking until later in the evening."
    Hawaiian Electric reports that it is also taking these steps:
    Asking large commercial customers, including hotels and resorts, to voluntarily reduce energy use, especially heavy equipment and air conditioning.
    Placing maintenance personnel on standby to address unexpected issues.
    Requesting maximum output available from Puna Geothermal Venture
    The utility states that "By reducing demand, Hawaiian Electric can ensure enough electricity is available and prevent the need to initiate rolling, 30-minute outages. If rolling outages are necessary, Hawaiian Electric will make every effort to use social media to notify customers in the affected areas in advance. Please check @HIElectricLight on Twitter for updates."

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The county solid waste division is suggesting Individual Wastewater Systems as a possibility over
sewage plants with sewer lines. Illustration from Hawai'i County

NĀ'ALEHU AND PĀHALA SEWAGE TREATMENT OPTIONS go to the Environmental Management Commission's meeting next Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held in Kona and is available on zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/16031058165 (Meeting ID: 160 3105 8165) or phone 1-669-2545252 (Enter the meeting ID). The county took over the old gang sewer system from the sugar plantations in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu and is obligated to replace them, under order from the Environmental Protection Agency.
    The county report to the commission says: "The Wastewater Division of the Department of Environmental Management has submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency its Feasibility Evaluation Report to identify the legal and technical feasibility of four potential wastewater treatment project options to replace the large capacity cesspools in these two communities. The report will be posted upon its acceptance by the EPA."
    Department of Environmental Management states that it has also begun the "next phase of the process, engaging with consultants to begin the Preliminary Engineering Report on the feasible options. A public community informational meeting was held on August 31 at Nā‘ālehu Community Center. More than 30 residents of Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu attended to learn about the status of the gang cesspool closure project, and to ask questions of DEM representatives in attendance."  The next public meeting will be scheduled for February 2023 in the Pāhala Community Center. The revised AOC may be viewed at: https://www.epa.gov/uic/closure-cesspools-pahala-andnaalehu-administrative-order-consent-county-hawaii 

A package sewage treatment plant is an option and would require sewer lines in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu. 
Illustration from Hawai'i County

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COLIN YOST IS THE NEW PUC APPOINTEE. Gov. David Ige appointed Yost, an attorney and local business leader, to the Public Utilities Commission to fill the seat being vacated by Commissioner Jennifer Potter, who announced she will be resigning from her position effective Oct. 31.

Colin Yost is the new PUC nominee.

    The PUC oversees companies that have a monopoly in their sector, such as the utilities, shipping and interisland travel by air and sea.
    "Colin will bring a valuable combination of legal and business experience to the Commission at a time when both are needed to ensure that Hawaiʻi can reach its energy transformation goals," said the governor.
    Yost is chief operating officer of RevoluSun, a solar and energy company headquartered in Honolulu. He has also served as the company's general counsel. In addition, he founded and managed a law practice, Cruise & Yost LLLC, and was an associate trial attorney at Paul Johnson Park & Niles in Honolulu. He was also an assistant attorney general for the Oregon Department of Justice in the Consumer Protection/Financial Fraud Section.
    Yost earned his juris doctorate from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law and graduated with BAs in English and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
    "I'm honored by the opportunity to serve the people of Hawaiʻi on the Public Utilities Commission, and I'll do my best to continue the Commission's important work to make utility services more affordable, resilient and environmentally beneficial," said Yost.
    Yost's appointment is effective Nov. 1 and will run through June 30, 2024. His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

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COUNTY PUBLIC WORK'S EPIC SYSTEM UPGRADE STARTS OCT. 28. The county's Department of Public Works Building Division and Planning Department will install a system upgrade to its Electronic Processing and Information Center, called EPIC, which handles building and other permits online. EPIC is a new system that is set to make it easier to process permits as well as easier for the public to know what is proposed in communities around the island.

    The transition is scheduled from 4:30 p.m Oct. 28 until 8 a.m. Oct. 31. The county statement says, "During this time, EPIC will not accept new permits, payments, or allow any document to be uploaded. This new upgrade will not affect any process on the user's end. We appreciate your patience and apologize for this inconvenience."

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THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WILL PROTECT reproductive freedom of servicemembers, DOD announced today. Sen Mazie Hirono said, “Today’s announcement from the Department of Defense

is a significant step toward protecting the reproductive freedom of servicemembers and their families. These actions will help ensure that our servicemembers can access the health care they need, while protecting the medical professionals who provide this care. As Republicans in Washington and across the country work to enact a nationwide abortion ban following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a 50 year Constitutional right, the federal government must use every available tool to protect the fundamental right to reproductive care for all women, including our servicemembers. We’re glad to see DOD taking these steps, and we hope the Department will continue working to strengthen the reproductive rights of all servicemembers and their families.”

    In June, following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Hirono led a group of U.S. Senators in calling for DOD to take immediate steps to support and protect female servicemembers seeking abortions. 

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A HALLOWEEN EVENT FOR OCEAN VIEW IS SET FOR Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center at 92-8924 Leilani Circle. There will be Goody Bags for the first 200 keiki and entertainment by Mr. Kneel, as well as Hip Hop for Families. Costumes are optional. It is sponsored by Neighborhood Place of Kona.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022

A Punalu'u Coastal Access & Resources Subcommittee has been set up by the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee, along with other committees to study Green Sands Beach, Pohue Bay and Kupuna Housing.
Punalu'u Photo by Peter Anderson

KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE set up Investigative Subcommittees on Wednesday on four topics, three of them concerning the Kaʻū Coast. The subcommittees are Punalu'u Coastal Access & Resources, Green Sand Beach Coastal Access & Resources, Pohue Bay Coastal Access & Resources and Kupuna Housing for Na'alehu. The Action Committee also named its Chair, Leina'ala Enos, Vice Chair Pernell Hanoa and Secretary Catherine Smith.
    The coastal subcommittees relate to the Kaʻū Community Development Plan's Implementation Actions. One of the Actions listed for its Guide, is to "Pursue potential synergistic projects," including, "Develop and implement plans for Punalu'u." It says, "Punalu'u features a unique combination of significant resources: ecological (turtle nesting, wetlands), cultural (historic sites, natural beauty), recreational (shoreline access and trail, beach park, fishing, boat launch, golf course," and economic (boat launch, vacation rentals). However, not all of these resources are sufficiently protected or actively managed."

    The Guide also notes that "Punalu'u is in the State Urban district, and it is zoned for residential and resort development (both by the County and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands). However, the existing water and wastewater system infrastructure appears to be in poor condition and significant maintenance, repairs and upgrades may be necessary. Moreover, portions of Punalu'u for development are vulnerable to hazards, including wildfire, floods, tsunamis, and sea level rise."
    The Punalu'u Subcommittee is comprised of Pernell Hanoa, Jesse Ke, Kaweni Ibara and Kaohinani Mokuhali'i. Green Sand Beach Subcommittee is comprised of Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow, Jason Masters and Kaweni Ibarra. Pohue Bay Subcommittee is comprised of Jason Masters, Catherine Williams and Pernell Hanoa. The Kupuna Housing Subcommittee is comprised of Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow and Jason Masters.
    The subcommittees are set up to engage with the community, government, stakeholders and others and to bring its ideas back to the Action Committee, which serves as an advisor to the county Planning Department and its Director. Representatives of the Planning Department attended the meeting and vowed to provide its resources.
    In suggesting the Punalu'u subcommittee, Hanoa said he envisions exploring "What kind of development want to see there and not see, and malama the coast. Only got one Punalu'u. If it's gone," there is nowhere else with easy access to the coast. "If you're from Kaʻū, you spend time down at Punalu'u and your 'Ohana spends time there." He said that he and others working on the future of Punalu'u want to get the community more involved." Ke said that Punalu'u is "so important" for her, her children and grandchildren. "What happens if we lose it?"
     Masters suggested the Pohue Bay subcommittee and mentioned the irony of Pohue being a place where no one can easily drive; Punalu'u is a place with easy driving access for the community, and Green Sands Beach is a place with no easy access but people drive there all the time anyway. Regarding Pohue, Hanoa said the National Park Service, which recently purchased more than 16,000 acres around Pohue, wants feedback, input, how to make Pohue accessible, "make it safe, malama the place."

Members of the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee met at Pāhala on Wednesday
and take their next meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 7 to Nāʻālehu Clubhouse at 5 p.m., public invited.
Photo by Julia Neal

    Enos talked about her concern for Green Sands Beach. She noted the recent San Francisco Gate article bringing the issue of its overcrowding and desecration "to the forefront." Enos said everyone knows people who desecrate and people who want to stop it." She said people depend on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the county to manage the place, but that the people need to be more involved.
    Enos also suggested the Kupuna Housing subcommittee and suggested working with O Kaʻū Kakou, the community organization which has raised funds and purchased land for the project in Nāʻālehu.
    Other topics that could become the focus of subcommittees in the future included the fate of Na'alehu Theatre, suggested by Williams, and the future of the Kalaiki Road, the old sugar cane haul road between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu that is frequently washed out. Mokuali'i, who suggested the topic, said that the road is experiencing more traffic from visitors and people who have purchased subdivided property along its path. The county is taking care of a small part of the road above Nāʻālehu and ranchers have been helping after flooding to fix the rest. With continued traffic and erosion, she said, it is becoming more dangerous. She noted that without it there would be no access between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu when Hwy 11 is closed.

    The next Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting is set for Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Clubhouse, next to the Nāʻālehu Ballpark. The public is invited. Testimony is allowed. The Wednesday meeting was in Pāhala and the Action Committee vowed to take its meetings around the district.
    In depth information on the Kaʻū Community Development Plan and other resources are available in the online Community Development Plan Action Committee folder in the County of Hawai'i Public Documents Repository at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/fol/88959/Row1.asp.The documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961- 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov.

In the mail, on stands and at www.kaucalendar.com

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022

Trojan Girls Volleyball captured third this season in islandwide high school finals at Kealakehe on Tuesday, upending Kohala in four sets, under Coach Josh Ortega. Photo by Josh Ortega

KAʻŪ HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM BEAT Kohala High at Kealakehe on Tuesday, giving the Trojans the title of third in their division in the 2022 islandwide Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships. The Trojans move on to the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association state tournament.
    The Trojans took down Kohala Tuesday in in four sets, losing the first set and then coming back with 25-10, 25-21, and 25-20. Leahi Kaupu nailed 13 Kills and 1 Ace. Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley 5 Kills and 2 Aces; Jazmyn Navarro 4 Kill and 3 aces; Kiya Hashimoto 11 Kills and 3 Aces; Kamalyn Jara 3 Kills and 2 aces; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro 1 Kill and 3 Aces.
    On Monday, Trojans beat HPA 13-25, 19-25 and 20-25. Leahi Kaupu came up with 9 Kills; Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley 4 Kills and 1 Ace; Jazmyn Navarro 1 Kill; Kamalyn Jara 2 Kills and 1 Ace; Tehani-Mae Espejo-Navarro 4 Aces; and Shaylie Martinez 1 Ace.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

THE KAʻŪ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MEETS WEDNESDAY to prioritize issues and elect a Chair and Vice Chair. The gathering is open to the public and is  is set for Wednesday, Oct. 19 at noon at Robert Herkes Kaʻū District Gym Multipurpose Room in Pāhala. There is no zoom option for the public meeting.
    CDP Action Committee members for Kaʻū are: Leina'ala Enos, Babette Morrow, Catherine Williams, Kaohinani Mokuali'i, Pernell Hanoa, Jason Masters, Kaweni Ibarra and Jessie Ke. See story at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_08_22_archive.html.
    More, including the Kaʻū Community Development Plan itself, is available in the online Community Development Plan Action Committee folder in the County of Hawai'i Public Documents Repository at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/fol/88959/Row1.asp.The documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961- 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

A STATUS UPDATE AND COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON MAUNA LOA VOLCANO, its ongoing earthquakes at the summit, likelihood of lava flow, and preparedness, will be held this Saturday, Oct. 22 at Ocean View Community Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. On hand will be Hawai'i County Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist in Charge Ken Hon.      With increased activity, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has suspended hiking and camping permits to the summit of Mauna Loa. USGS issues daily updates on the seismic activity of Mauna Loa.
Tuesday's update says: "During the past 24 hours, HVO detected 29 small-magnitude (below M3.0) earthquakes 2-3 miles (3-5 km) below Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and 4-5 miles (6-8 km) beneath the upper-elevation northwest flank of Mauna Loa. Both of these regions have historically been seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa.

    "Global Positioning System instruments at the summit and on the flanks of Mauna Loa continue to measure inflation at rates elevated since mid-September. However, tiltmeters at the summit are not showing significant surface deformation over the past week.
    "Concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as fumarole temperatures, remain stable at the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the upper Southwest Rift Zone. Webcam and thermal camera views have shown no changes to the volcanic landscape on Mauna Loa over the past week.
    "Heightened unrest began in mid-September 2022 with increased earthquake rates below Mauna Loa summit (from 10-20 per day to 40-50 per day), an increased rate of inflation recorded by GPS stations, and inflation recorded on the MOK tiltmeter. The unrest is likely caused by renewed input of magma into Mauna Loa’s summit reservoir system. As the reservoir expands it is triggering small earthquakes directly beneath Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and in a region just to the northwest of the caldera. Deeper magma input (greater than 2 miles, 3 kilometers) is detected by the continued increase in upward movement and extension measured between GPS stations located on the ground surface. Shallower magma input (less than 2 miles, 3 kilometers) was likely responsible for inflation recorded on the summit tiltmeter during the last two weeks of September. The current locations of earthquakes and deformation do not necessarily mean that the next eruption will occur there. Mauna Loa remains at an elevated alert level of ADVISORY/YELLOW. The current increase in activity does not suggest that a progression to an eruption is certain, and there are no indications that an eruption is imminent."
    HVO's bulletin states that it will continue to closely monitor Mauna Loa for changes. The last eruption was in 1984 and this is the longest period of time without an eruption in the known history of Mauna Loa, the biggest volcano on the planet.

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CONGRESSMAN KAI KAHELE PLANS TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES from rural Hawai'i to study at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York; U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.
    The office of the Congressman Kahele is accepting application packages for military academy nominations from residents in Hawaiʻi’s second congressional district, which includes all of Kaʻū.
The deadline for students to apply for an appointment to the Military Service Academy class of 2027 is Oct. 3, 11:59pm HST. Find more information at Kahele's congressional website, https://kahele.house.gov/ser.../military-academy-nominations. For questions, call the District Office at (808) 746-6220.

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