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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-02-29 Interagency Vog Task Force Minutes Interagency Task Force on VOG Wednesday, February 29, 2012 7:00 p.m. Pahala Community Center 96-3159 Maile Street Pahala, Hawaii Present: John Drummond, Chair, Salvador Panem, Merilyn Harris, Fred Blas, Newton Inouye for Aaron Ueno, Robert Herkes, Gerald Kosaki, Brittany Smart, James Weller for Eric Kawamoto, Jason Moniz, Victor Gustafson Not Present: Gilbert Kahele, Loretta Fuddy, George Applegate, Faye Hanohano, Robert Irvine, and Mary Correa, Others Present: Benedict Fuata , Julia Neal, Lynn Hamilton, Ron Ebert, Chelsen Jensen, Lani Petrie, Raymond Marques, Jessie Marques, Mike Pearson, and Marlene Hapai. John Drummond called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Approval of December 22, 2011 minutes. Motion to pass by Brittany Smart, seconded by Fred Blas. Motion passed. Robert Herkes stated the task force is a sounding board and we would get back to you on your questions. John Drummond thanked Julia Neal for the coffee and refreshments. Reports: Unfinished Business: Community Outreach Statements from the Public Julia Neal with the Ka”u Calendar. How the new disaster shelter will accommodate people. Will it have equipment to clean the air? How will they power up the equipment if there is an emergency? The safe room will it accommodate more than 20 people? Robert Herkes The gym is a school facility, but the Department of Education will not spend the money on the gym if the facility is not a classroom. So the money was transferred to the County and it is a County project, which needs to be hurricane resistant. Someone will have to get back. Contract needs to be signed by June 1, 2012 or July 1, 2012. Ron Ebert – He tracks vog . His concern is a lot of gas collects in Wood Valley, could another monitoring station be established in Wood Valley? The task force concern is for people’s health. During 1 emergencies, Reverse 911 and cell phones may not reach some homes; some homes do not have phones; and another issue cell phone may not have coverage in some parts of the community. Newton Inouye – get Ron Ebert’s number and someone will get back to him. Lani Petrie of Kapapala Ranch -The ranch has 300 miles of fences to maintain and vog corrodes the metal fencing, even the metal from the trucks and trailers. And there is the liability of operating the vehicles, you don’t know if the brakes will hold. Ka’u can’t live the way before the vog, even the non- native plants have a hard time. How long do the fences last? About 2 years depending on the wind patterns. You need to have the resources to leave or live with it. Jessie Marques – Are there any bidders for the gm? How many? Are they pro actively pursuing the gym? Or are they like the governor not interested on the impact on human beings? The Department of Health is politically not correct in the vog would not impact tourists. There are studies being done on the vog. Can the information be given out to the community to the public? What can these studies do so we can do our job? She would like to see the legislature have an initiative to get air filters for people’s homes. Mike Pearson – Are there any other people monitoring the SO levels in addition to the ? Department of 2 Health? Discussion Volcano School has two monitors. USGS/Kalapapala Ranch has nine monitors. Could there be mapping of hazards? There needs to be community based participation to learn how to take carre of ourselves. Julia Neal – Is it possible if mapping vog as a health risk would there be a tax credit for people to get equipment. For people with asthma or all homes in the area. Marlene Hapai There was an acid rain study of Halemaumau back in the 1980s and it is 30 years later and acid rain is still around. There are studies being done, studies and the events should looked at to see if there is a correlation. Or events and admissions to the Ka’u emergency room is there a correlation. Robert Herkes - People do not know how to treat their water tanks. The tank water should be ph tested. Patricia Macomber should get her information out to the public on water catchment. Gerald Kosaki from Fire summarized of events on the vog, back in 2007, there was a volcanic event with rd SO and vog, which occurred during a drill with the 93 WMD CST and turned into an actual incident. 2 rd The 93 stayed in Hilo for three to four months to monitor the SO. Over a two month period, a protocol 2 was developed with Area RAE monitors monitoring the spikes of the vog levels. The Area RAE was not built to run 24/7 and one by one they have gone down. It costs to fix RAEs, about $1,300 to replace or repair. Fire has eight RAEs down and no money to replace them. Discussion: Are there studies on vog and cardiac? Unless they have resources to move resident must adjust their lives. Need to know permissible limits, and what are the protective measures, What are the long term effects, which have not been identified to date. Can mapping be done? You know the source, you know the weather and speed of the wind, Can you show where the vog will go? Ben Fuata – 1. We need to standardize air quality monitoring to what the Department of Health will accept. Is there a standard of permit able limits that effect humans? Develop acceptable calibration 2 standards. We should look into a budget for procurement of equipment. How much will monitoring equipment cost and how much it would cost to sustain the equipment. 2. We would work with Department of Health to educate residents to cope with the vog and what equipment and technology is available. 3. We would need to work with technology and whatever means to alert the residents (internet, text, radio stations) of conditions. New Business: Brittany Smart – The new draft environmental assessment is out. The task force should look at it and make comments. Schedule next meeting th The next meeting to be June 14 Thursday, at the Pahoa Community Center at 5:00 p.m. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn Brittany Smart. Seconded by Sal Panam. Meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Amended March 30, 2012 3