Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, March 7, 2015

      In 1990, Neal moved to Alaska to work at the newly created AVO in Anchorage, where she monitored and studied a number of Alaskan volcanoes and their eruptions. Working on remote Alaskan stratovolcanoes is not for the faint-hearted – steep-sided, glacier-covered volcanic mountains are hazardous even when not erupting.
      Neal also investigated eruptive histories and hazards of several volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. She was particularly interested in the physical processes of explosive eruptions.
      In 1998, Neal accepted a two-year assignment in Washington, D.C., as the first USGS geoscience advisor to the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, a USAID unit responsible for coordinating U.S. government responses to disasters overseas. She oversaw and initiated programs in geohazards mitigation, advised OFDA on responses to geologic disasters and served as liaison between federal agencies, academics and non-governmental organizations that work on natural hazards mitigation. She also traveled to Thailand, Nepal, Ecuador, Colombia and Kazakhstan to review or assist with the implementation of hazard mitigation programs.
      When Neal returned to AVO in 2000, she resumed her work as a geologist. With colleagues, she strengthened the Alaska-based interagency response system for volcanic eruptions and coordinated AVO’s eruption monitoring and crisis response efforts with Russian counterparts. She is also internationally recognized for her efforts to reduce the risk of volcanic ash to aviation in the North Pacific and globally. As part of an NSF-funded multi-disciplinary team, Neal recently helped install the first volcano monitoring equipment on the long-active Cleveland volcano in the Central Aleutians.
      In addition to geologic work, Neal was Chief of Staff and Deputy Regional Director for the USGS’ Western Regional Office in 2009 and 2010 and Acting Scientist-in-Charge at AVO in 2010.
      Over the years, Neal has maintained ties to HVO. In 2012, she helped with HVO’s 100th Anniversary Open House, and in October 2014, she spent two weeks at HVO assisting with monitoring efforts and community meetings as Kilauea’s lava flow moved toward Pahoa.
      Tom Murray, Director of the USGS Volcano Science Center, which oversees all five USGS volcano observatories, said he was thrilled when she accepted the post as HVO’s leader. “Tina brings to the HVO Scientist-in-Charge position the required broad scientific background, strong communication skills and eruption response experience, including much work with various communities at risk,” he said. “I know that both HVO and the communities that it serves will be in good hands going forward.”
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HAWAI`I HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES has followed Hawai`i County’s lead in passing a bill that would ban the sale or furnishing of tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices, to anyone under 21 years of age. Hawai`i County’s ban went into effect July 1 of last year. 

      “Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States,” according to testimony from the state Department of Health. “Nationally, nearly 1,000 youth under the age of 18 become regular smokers daily, and almost one-third of them will die from it.” The department shared statistics from 2013 Hawai`i Youth Risk reports that in the state of Hawai`i, 10 percent of high school youth, or 4,400 youth, currently smoke, and 15 percent of young adults aged 18 to 24 years (19,400) are also current smokers. 

      “Tobacco companies heavily target young adults through a variety of marketing activities because they know it is a critical time period for solidifying nicotine addiction,” the department said.
      In testimony opposing the bill, Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes Vice President Scott Rasak said, “Over the years that we have been in business in the state, we have provided a product that tens of thousands of customers use every day to greatly reduce their use or quit smoking altogether. This has improved the lives of smokers and ex-smokers in the state. The removal of secondhand smoke has helped non-smokers as well and has cut down on the amount of butt discard in our community.”
      Ka`u’s state Rep. Richard Creagan, Vice Chair of the House Health Committee, was one of HB 385’s introducers.
      To follow progress of this and other bills, see capitol.hawaii.gov.
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