Ka‘ū News Briefs Saturday, October 28, 2017

RICHARD ABBETT WILL RUN FOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6. The fisheries, natural resources, environment and green jobs advocate, who lives in Green Sands, ran against current council member Maile David in 2014. He said on Friday that he is ready to run again. "I want to see progress on many fronts."
        "For too long the needs of our district have gone unaddressed. While tourism is at a record high on the island, our rural areas are still beset with crime, unemployment and infrastructure needs, such as a second well in Ocean View," said Abbett.

Richard Abbett says he will run for County Council. Photo by Julia Neal

       Concerning employment, Abbett said that attempting to balance new jobs with a sustainable economy for local people can lead to political division. "However, union jobs are not limited to traditional construction and manufacturing, like power plant incinerators and hotels." He said there is a growing green industry sector with good paying jobs. He pointed to solar and to the "island's solid waste stream, where there is opportunity to solve the problem even more urgently now than four years ago when I last ran."
     Abbett said that new products and services could be created through upcycling construction components. A green industries park could offer union and non-union jobs with training and apprenticeships. "Wealth from waste," is an opportunity, he said.
    Concerning development, Abbett advocates "Keeping Ka‘ū wild." He said, "We need to know how ecosystems work and that balance creates a diversity of species." He said that any development proposals for Ka‘ū should be addressed with a site visit by the County Planning Director before any consideration.
      Abbett also spoke for GMO labeling and against expansion of the military at Pohakuloa Training Area.    
       During his previous campaign, Abbett opposed candidates taking money and services from any lobbying group, from corporations to unions. He said, "I am taken aback that people took their money" and services. He promised that he would not accept airline tickets, hotel rooms, dining and training, by a super PAC or anyone else, even if campaign advisors urged him to "take the money" or consulting services. "I don't have to ask someone else about my integrity. I don't need another person to determine my integrity. I would not take money for that reason. I do not take lip for that reason," he said.
      Abbett has a college degree in public policy development and administration. He was President and CEO of the Washington state Council for the Washington, D. C. based Trout Unlimited, and also its Western Vice President. Trout Unlimited strives to conserve cold-water fisheries. He worked for the State of Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife as the state's Advocate for federal funding for habitat restoration for salmon. He was Northwest Regional Director of the Union Sportsmen's Alliance of the AFL-CIO.


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HABITAT RURAL HOUSING REPAIR LOANS ARE AVAILABLE IN KA‘Ū. Low income families whose homes have such challenges as a leaky roof, dripping pipes, termites and wood rot are eligible. Also eligible for funding are ramps for disabled homeowners in need of them.
      Habitat for Humanity Hawai‘i Island has the funds to to repair dilapidated low-income rural homes. Applicants must own and occupy the home, have income and assets not exceeding USDA Very Low Income guidelines for Hawai‘i County, have owned and occupied the home for at least a year before applying, have equity sufficient to cover the cost of repairs and be able to repay the no-interest loan over 20 years.

     The dwelling must be a legal structure located in a rural area (anywhere on island except Hilo) and have defects that pose a health or safety hazard to occupants or be in need of improvements to improve accessibility for a handicapped household member.
     Assistance is in the form of a no-interest loan repaid over 20 years.
     Repairs are performed by licensed general contractors hired by the homeowners.
     Loans are secured by mortgages and promissory notes.
     The program is funded by federal USDA Rural Development and Habitat for Humanity Hawai‘i Island and is being carried out as part Habitat's mission to provide safe, accessible affordable housing in Hawai‘i county.
     The Rural Housing Preservation Grant program is an equal opportunity program guided by regulations of USDA Rural Development and Habitat for Humanity International. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry/national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, marital status, age or HIV infection is prohibited by federal law and Habitat policy.
     For further information or to apply, call Mary Finley at 967-7230. She said that funding is limited and there is a time limit to complete repairs.

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NEWLY PUBLISHED USGS INUNDATION MAPS FOR MAUNA LOA are online, reports this weeks Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists:
     The primary goal of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is to provide scientific information to reduce risks due to volcanic and seismic activity. To this end, HVO scientists assess volcano hazards and inform the public and civic officials using media outlets, community forums, and other outreach activities.

Map shows the three communities on the west flank of Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone,  Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, Kula Kai, and Hawaiian Ranchos subdivisions. Topographic contours modified from U.S. Geological Survey 10-meter digital elevation model. Contour interval, 1,000 feet. Detailed maps of inundation zones  are online at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3387.Map from HVO

     As an example, HVO has worked to keep Island of Hawaiʻi residents and visitors, as well as people around the world, informed about Kīlauea Volcano’s eruptive activity and hazards for more than three decades.

     An eruption on Mauna Loa is not imminent, but it will erupt again someday. When it does, many people, including emergency responders, will need to know which areas are threatened with lava inundation. Researchers at HVO have produced maps that will help Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense and other emergency managers identify people, property, and facilities at risk during future eruptions.

      Most of Mauna Loa’s eruptive fissures and vents are located at the summit of the volcano and along two rift zones that extend northeast and southwest from Moku‘āweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera. A few vents, however, occur along radial fissures that extend primarily north and west from the summit.

      The bounding walls of Moku‘āweoweo create topographic barriers that should protect areas southeast and west of the caldera from lava flows erupted from within the caldera. But the barrier on the west side is rendered ineffective by the radial vents on the flanks of the volcano. For example, in 1859, an eruption from radial vents on the northwest flank of Mauna Loa produced lava flows that advanced to the ocean in eight days.

    Using detailed geologic mapping and modeling of how a fluid (in this case, lava) responds to surface topography, USGS-HVO constructed nine maps depicting 18 inundation zones on Mauna Loa. Each zone identifies a segment of the volcano that could erupt lava and send flows downslope.

     Colored regions on these maps show areas on the volcano’s flank that could potentially be covered by flows from future Mauna Loa eruptions. These eruptions could originate from the volcano’s summit, rift zones, or radial vents. It’s likely, however, that only part of a zone would be covered in a single eruption.

Revised Mauna Loa lava inundation zones, updated this year. Shaded relief is from U.S. Geological Survey 10-meter digital elevation model. More detailed maps of inundation zones are available online at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3387 Map from HVO

      The inundation maps provide a good first-order understanding of specific areas that could be affected by Mauna Loa lava flows once a vent is identified. This information is critical for response planning.

      When a Mauna Loa eruption starts, the maps can help decision makers quickly identify communities, infrastructure, and roads between possible vent locations and the coast, facilitating more efficient and effective allocation of response resources. The public can also use the maps to consider where lava flows might go once an eruption starts.

      “Lava inundation zone maps for Mauna Loa, Island of Hawaiʻi,” published by the U.S. Geological Survey as Scientific Investigations Map 3387, comprises 10 sheets (maps) and an explanatory pamphlet. Sheet 1 is a map of the entire Island of Hawaiʻi with outlines showing the areas encompassed by the nine other maps. These nine sheets depict the 18 inundation zones for Mauna Loa. Guidelines on how to interpret the maps are provided in the accompanying pamphlet.

      The inundation zones identified on the maps are: Kaumana, Waiākea, and Volcano-Mountain View (Sheet 2); Kapāpala (Sheet 3); Pāhala, Punalu‘u, and Wood Valley (Sheet 4); Nā‘ālehu (Sheet 5); Kalae (Sheet 6); Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, Kapu‘a, and Miloli‘i (Sheet 7); Ho‘okena, Ka‘ohe, and Ka‘apuna (Sheet 8); Hōnaunau and Kealakekua (Sheet 9); and Puako (Sheet 10).

      The boundaries between inundation zones are approximate. The names given for each sheet are descriptive, and are meant to represent the larger geographic areas of potential lava inundation. Map scales vary from 1:45,000 to 1:85,000.
     See a booklet on the inundation zones at https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3387/sim3387_pamphlet.pdf.
See the detailed Mauna Loa Inundation Maps at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3387.

     Visit the HVO website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, volcano updates and photos, recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (Kīlauea) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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