Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, March 30, 2019

Bula Akamu returns to his home town of Pāhala to perform at the Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa on Saturday, May 4. See the full lineup, below. Photo from bulamusic.com

A BILL FOR $60 MILLION IN DISASTER RELIEF for the devastating Kīlauea eruption that destroyed homes, farms, and infrastructure last year passed the state Senate on Thursday, March 28 after passing in the House of Representatives . It goes to Gov. David Ige for final approval.

     HB 1180 HD1 would appropriate "funds for disaster relief, recovery, mitigation, and remediation activities for the County of Hawaii. Requires reporting of monthly expenditures to the Department of Budget and Finance." The $60 million is made up of $20 million in state grants and $40 million in state loans, with expected payback from the federal government. The state has already provided $22 million, bringing the entire package to $82 million.

Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School, hours before lava  covered it during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. A bill to provide  $60 million in disaster relief for those affected by the  destruction heads to Gov. David Ige's desk after  passing both House and Senate. Photo from Tropical Visions

     East Kaʻū and Puna Sen. Russell Ruderman said, "Mahalo to my Senate and House colleagues who worked so hard on this bill. It is a giant step toward providing much needed financial relief to the County of Hawaiʻi and residents of Puna, who have experienced extreme hardship over the past year in rebuilding their lives."
     Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi said on opening day of the legislature, "We would not forget the Big Island this session." Ruderman thanked him for keeping that promise.
     Said Puna Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, "The people of Puna and the Big Island are hurting and need our help. They are struggling just to secure their basic needs such as food, water, and a roof over their heads. We are hoping the county uses these funds wisely and will be able to leverage it with FEMA funds. My community has been hard hit and it is very difficult to rebuild."
     Hawaiʻi County Council member Herbert M. "Tim" Richards III said he wants to confirm the council is unified and committed to using these funds for rebuilding both the infrastructure and the economy. "It is not just the physical damage but also the economic damage that we've had on the whole Big Island that needs to be repaired," Richards said. "Estimates are that we suffered a $500 million loss in tourism. We have to rebuild that. We are looking at roads, tourism marketing, and jobs. It will take time, but we are moving forward reasonably quickly."

GreenLakeevaporated as lava entered it.  Photo from Lillie Galarneau

     The 2018 eruption caused thousands of earthquakes and dozens of explosive ash eruptions at the summit, contributing to poor air quality along with high levels of volcanic gasses. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the most visited tourist attraction in the state, closed for about four months. The closure increased the already dropping tourism numbers, which may also have been affected by misinformed media exposure broadcasting the danger was more widespread than it was. In Puna, lava covered nearly 14 square miles, cutting off access to over three thousand parcels, and destroying 716 homes, Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School, farms, cultural sites, recreation areas, roadways, water systems, a large portion of the electrical grid, part of Puna Geothermal Venture, and more.