Comm. No. 2019-10 Stephanie Bath Testimony 8.6.19

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Comm. No. 2019-10 Stephanie Bath August 6, 2019 Testimony PCDP Action Committee Agenda item 1 Aloha Chairperson Brown and Committee Members, By way of introduction, I am Stephanie Bath. I have resided in Kurtistown since 1981. 1 have been involved in the PCDP process since the first meeting that the community was invited to. Later I served on PCDP steering committee where I was lead over the transportation theme. Our family are CERT. We have actively served during both recent lava flows, Iselle and Lane. At both Puna PREP fairs I served as lead in the mapping room. This is where concise input was collected from the community re Connectivity locations in Puna. I want to emphasis that the community was overwhelmingly and enthusiastically supportive of the implementation of connectivity locations in Puna. They wanted and want action. This committee has been tasked with the implementation of our now, 10 plus, year old PCDP. When we look at the implementation chart, what has been implemented? There were many unmet needs in Puna prior to the devastation by the Kilauea eruption. The eruptions and Hurricane Lane have highlighted the lack of emergency measures in our community. These will not be the last emergency situation we will experience as a community or Island. Every day in Puna there are emergencies and situations that turn the lives of people upside down. How does this relate to our discussion here.? What I seek to do today is encourage this committee to take a broader look at the recovery efforts from the eruptions and take measures to alleviate future impacts on life and property. Transportation was a very hot theme during the developing of the PCDP. It still is. Road redundancy/Connectivity I strongly encourage support of prioritizing selection and acquisition of all the connectivity locations. Connectivity intent can not be fully realized if some participate and others do not. (if some communities are impacted and other are excluded.) During the lava flow government created the CL from Hawaiian beaches to HPP. It was easy to create. We now have redundancy with 130 if needed. As part of our recovery it is essential that our Puna community be connected and made safer. It is not ok, for example, that Fern Acres is cut off and isolated when there is heavy rain fall. Lower Puna as well as parts of Upper Puna, could not get home during Lane because CL were not functioning. Ers did not have access to areas. It was a mess. Its terrifying to think of the lifethretening situation of a wildfire in Fern Acres subdivision. Remember the fires in Puna in the 80s? People need emergency health care or other first responders to have assess. Human life is at stake! What I am not saying is to shine on those impacted by Fissure 8 and the other elements of the eruption and Halemaumau explosion and collapse.