HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-12-22 Interagency Vog Task Force Minutes
Interagency Task Force on VOG
Thursday, December 22, 2011
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Aging & Disability Resource Center3
Training Room
1055 Kino’ole St.
Hilo, Hawaii
Present: John Drummond, Chair, Kevin Richards, Faye Hanohano, Robert Herkes, Gilbert Kahele, Nelson
Ho, Robert Irvine, Eric Kawamoto, Aaron Ueno, Salvador Panem, Gerald Kosaki, Merilyn Harris.
Not Present: Mary Correa, Fred Blas, Jason Moniz, Loretta Fuddy, George Applegate
Others Present: Newton Inouye
John Drummond called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m.
Approval of September 29, 2011 minutes.
F. Hanohano moved to approve. Merilyn Harris seconded the motion. Passed
Reports:
Kevin Richards introduced himself as the State Civil Defense representative.
Unfinished Business:
Herkes – Determine how and when we will meet with the public. We are here to find answers
and get back to the public with their concerns.
Dr. Irvine – Does Ka’u Hospital have brochures to pass out to the public and educate the public?
We should get some support from people on the other islands.
Nelson Ho – Wood Valley is a pocket of Vog. Ms. Smart’s concern is could a monitoring station
be placed or relocated to Wood Valley? The station in Pahala town is located where the Department of
Health could service not where the highest concentrate of vog would be. Ms. Smart would like the task
force to look into to either relocate or put in another data collection site.
Herkes – How to test catchment water. Could we have water hauler test the catchment water when it is
delivered? This is a simple solution for quality of water. Corrosion in the water is a public safety.
New Business:
Presentation by Dr. Jim Kauahikaua, of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Handout shows SO
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emission rate over four year period. The downward trend of the graph is normally good news. There is
no way to predict the future if you draw a line through the graph and if the line was at zero, it would be
another three years. There are no guarantees.
Nelson Ho – Can the Department of Health give some recommendations on monitors for
personal protection. Discussion on Area RAEs were not designed to run 24/7, not meet EPA standard for
long range monitoring. Representative Herkes was probably looking at the personal badges acquired
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from GASPRO. $200-250 range. These were cheaper because could not change the batteries. Any
monitoring device has to be recalibrated periodically.
When will we meet again and community outreach at the same time. Recommend meeting in the
evening, so people working can attend. R. Herkes interim period is best for F. Hanohano and G. Kahele
February 22 to 29, 2012.
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Schedule to hold next meeting in Ka’u at the Recreation Center in Pahala, Wednesday 29 of February,
7:00 p.m.
Adjournment:
F. Hanohano moved to adjourn. Nelson Ho seconded the motion. Passed
Meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.
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