Ka`u News Briefs March 17, 2011

HEAVY WIND blew smoke and odor from Volcano to Pahala yesterday, and residents called public officials to find out if a fire was near the town. But just like the fumes from Halema`uma`u crater, winds had blown the smoke across the Ka`u desert. Wind also blew the smoke and particles away from Pahala, and the skies became clear within minutes.
     The eleven-hundred-acre fire started from the Kamoamoa eruption between Halema`uma`u and Pu`u `O`o and has burned for more than two days. The gusty winds pushed and stoked the fires as they moved southwest toward Holei Pali, park officials said. Park firefighters have held the blaze east and north of Chain of Craters Road, which remains closed at Mau Loa O Mauna Ulu. Firefighters from Whisky Town National Recreational Area in northern California will provide reinforcement to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park firefighters, arriving on Friday. The fires are moving through uluhe fern and ohia, park officials said.

LOW LEVELS OF RADIATION have been found in mail from Japan at San Francisco and New York post offices but not in Hawai`i, according to the U.S. Postal Service. U.S. customs allowed the mail to go through after assessing that the levels were very low. Customs is spot-checking mail when it arrives in Honolulu. The state Department of Health said that no radiation has arrived from the release of radiation from Japanese nuclear plants, and none is expected at this time.

SEN. DAN AKAKA sent an email this morning about a congressional hearing he is attending as a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The hearing is about Catastrophic Preparedness: How Ready is FEMA for the Next Big Disaster?" He said the committee will examine the Federal Emergency Management Agency's preparedness for catastrophic disaster. Akaka wrote that he plans to ask FEMA officials "to evaluate the agency’s ability to respond to a potential disaster in Hawai`i, tsunami preparedness and response efforts, and the need for a well-trained FEMA workforce to effectively carry out the agency's mission." The hearing is webcast live today, beginning at 9:15 a.m. Hawai`i time.

Puna Geothermal power generating equipment.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY is getting more national awareness following problems with the nuclear power plants in Japan that risk the health of many residents there. Hawai`i island is considered to have the most potential for geothermal development in the United States, as its sits on a hot spot on the ocean floor that is expected to last more than a half million years. The National Wildlife Federation reports good results for geothermal heat pumps that have been installed on 160 college campuses throughout the country. U.S. Geothermal is building a modular geothermal plant in Oregon with $90 million in federal funding. On the Big Island, Puna Geothermal is adding eight megawatts onto its production and says it can ramp up to 200 megawatts and meet most of the electrical needs of the island. 

`Aina Koa Pono's depiction of its proposed Ka`u Energy Farm.

     Another proposal is the biofuels farm and factory planned around Pahala, which would use trees and crops grown for a refinery. This proposal also calls for making transportation fuel to take cars, trucks and airplanes off of fossil fuel.

KA`U FEDERAL CREDIT UNION and Bank of Hawai`i have joined other financial institutions to collect funds for a relief effort for victims of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan. Mayor Billy Kenoi thanked the credit unions and banks “for stepping forward to join in this effort to assist the victims of this tragedy.” He said, “All of us have been saddened by the loss of life and terrible damage in Japan, and we all want to help.” Checks should be made payable to Aloha for Japan and can be dropped off at the Ocean View, Na`alehu and Pahala branches of Ka`u Federal Credit Union and Bank of Hawai`i in Pahala.

YESTERDAY, THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES passed $10.9 billion in state government spending for this year and another $10.9 billion for next year with a clause that lets the budget go back to the drawing board after the state Council of Revenues makes a new forecast on income. The forecast will be re-evaluated to take into consideration the earthquake and tsunami devastation in Japan, along with the unsettled nuclear power plant radiation crisis. The Japanese visitor market is important to the economy of Hawai`i, and how soon it could rebound remains a large variable to Hawai`i businesses. After meeting with the House and Senate leadership yesterday, Gov. Neil Abercrombie released a statement saying that raising the general excise tax is not being considered to make up for any deficit, but additional cuts in the budget are expected. 

Ka`u Hospital administrator
Merilyn Harris

KA`U HOSPITAL INVITES THE PUBLIC to meet its administration and public officials this Saturday, March 19 at 3 p.m. The meet and greet session follows the East Hawai`i Region of HHSC Board of Directors meeting to be held at the hospital in Pahala. On hand will be Sen. Gil Kahele, the board, and hospital administrator Merilyn Harris and her staff. Plans will be presented to improve Ka`u Hospital.

THE KA`U FEDERAL CREDIT UNION holds its annual meeting  this Saturday at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Officers will be inducted and a steak fry put on by the Na`alehu Roping & Riding Club.