HILO — A County Council resolution to rename fissure 8 and other features of the Kilauea eruption will be voted upon in August.
The resolution was introduced by District 3 Councilwoman Susan Lee Loy at a Tuesday meeting of the County Council’s Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development.
The resolution “urges the state board on geographic names to consult with community members who have direct traditional, cultural and familial ties to the district of Puna to establish appropriate names for the fissure 8 vent and other features of the 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano.”
Lee Loy said the resolution would establish a framework for the state to begin to engage with members of the Hawaiian community to determine the most appropriate names.
No members of the community testified at Tuesday’s meeting. However, other members of the committee were supportive of the measure.
“‘Fissure 8’ is not a good name,” said District 4 Councilwoman Eileen O’Hara “The number eight is the symbol for infinity, and we don’t want an infinite eruption.”
While there was no dissent toward the resolution, the committee postponed action on the resolution until a presentation by a Hawaiian cultural practitioner can be made. The next action on the resolution will take place Aug. 7.