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William P. Kenoi <br />Mayor <br />Walter K.M. Lau <br />Managing Director <br />Randall M. Kurohara <br />Deputy Managing Director <br />County of Hawaii <br />Office of the Mayor <br />25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 ^ Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (8o8) 961-8211 • Fax (8o8) 961-6553 <br />KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg. C • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 9674o <br />(808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440 <br />WHEREAS, Act 111 of the 2014 Hawaii State Legislature, provides for the <br />establishment of County organizations for emergency management and disaster relief with the <br />Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the <br />County; and <br />WHEREAS, Act 111 of the 2014 Hawaii State Legislature and Chapter 7, Articles 1 and <br />2 of the Hawaii County Code, establishes a Civil Defense Agency within the County of Hawaii <br />and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities, and Section 13-23 of the Hawaii County <br />Charter empowers the Mayor of the County to declare emergencies; and <br />WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on September 4, 2014 has <br />raised its Volcano Alert Level from Watch to Warning and has reported that the June 27th flow <br />from Kilauea's East Rift Zone is within 1.3 kilometers or .8 miles of the eastern boundary of the <br />Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve in the District of Puna, County and State of Hawaii, and if <br />unimpeded will cross Highway 130 at an unknown time; and <br />WHEREAS, in advance of the actual lava flow may be threats of wildfire and methane <br />explosions; and <br />WHEREAS, Highway 130 is the only major thoroughfare servicing lower Puna; and <br />WHEREAS, other access into and out of Lower Puna are unimproved and often 4 -wheel <br />drive only roads incapable of supporting standard travel; and <br />WHEREAS, due to the prior eruption events of 1983 to 2013, Highway 130 remains <br />inundated by lava and impassible between the Highway 137, a.k.a. the Kapoho-Kalapana Road <br />Beach Road ("Red Road")/Highway 130 junction and Chain of Craters road in the Volcanoes <br />National Park; and <br />WHEREAS, with the June 27t'' flow to the north and the 1983-2013 eruption to the south, <br />residential communities, schools, government facilities, business and industry in the affected <br />area are under threat of disaster due to lava inundation and/or being land locked and isolated <br />from the rest of the County; and <br />1 <br />