HILO — Hawaii County is planning its first evacuation drill for a disaster at Puna’s nearly two-decades old geothermal power plant. HILO — Hawaii County is planning its first evacuation drill for a disaster at Puna’s nearly two-decades old geothermal
HILO — Hawaii County is planning its first evacuation drill for a disaster at Puna’s nearly two-decades old geothermal power plant.
Planning for the exercise is still in its early stages, but Benedict Fuata, the Big Island’s civil defense coordinator, said he is aiming to hold a three-day drill in mid-July.
It will be the first drill since the plant, now operating at 38 megawatts, went online in 1993. It will also act as a test of the county’s first geothermal evacuation plan, now being drafted.
Fuata said the county is acting in response to the outcry from dozens of Puna residents concerned that there isn’t enough health and safety protections in place. Those anxieties have resurfaced in the wake of Hawaii Electric Light Co.’s recent efforts to expand geothermal operations on the Big Island by up to 50 megawatts.
“I was mandated by Mayor [Billy] Kenoi to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
“He has concerns and I have concerns.”
Fuata said he expects homes to be evacuated as part of the exercise but the scope of the drill hasn’t been determined.
The plant, operated by Puna Geothermal Venture, sits in a largely residential area in Pahoa. County Planning Director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd estimated last week that between 87 and 140 homes are located within a mile of the plant.
During recent Hawaii County Council meetings, neighbors of the plant recalled having to flee their homes in 1991 during a well blowout, which released steam created by volcanic activity into the air.
Some have claimed adverse health effects as a result.
Fuata, who became civil defense coordinator in March, said part of his job is to investigate those claims to understand the public’s risk.
“I’m in fact-finding mode right now,” he said.
The steam, used to create electricity, carries harmful toxins, the worst being hydrogen sulfide.
The plant operates with a closed system, meaning no steam is released unless there is a problem.
PGV has its own community evacuation plan in place, but it is unclear why it hasn’t been tested since the blowout or why the county hadn’t developed its own plan before.
Fuata refereed to the company’s plan as “general” and said he thinks a more detailed and coordinated effort is needed.
Both Kenoi and County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, who is challenging Kenoi in this year’s mayoral race, said it’s time for the county to do more to address the issue.
Kenoi said the county needs to be prepared for any disaster, whether a tsunami, hurricane, or geothermal related.
“Every time you go through a drill you learn something,” he said.
“You become better, you become more prepared.”
Yagong said he also has been discussing the need for a county plan with Fuata over the last few weeks.
He plans to introduce a bill June 6 that would also require an evacuation plan to be developed for current and future geothermal operations.
Yagong gave praise during a phone interview Saturday to Puna residents who have brought their concerns to light.
“People have expressed their outrage and that has moved government to action,” he said.
The plant has had six air emission violations.
Detected levels of hydrogen sulfide were not considered harmful, according to the state Department of Health, which doesn’t consider the plant to be a threat to public health.
