08-26-2007, 05:48 AM
sp true, it would just take longer. However, it seems like they could make the road between HPP and Hawaiian Beaches passable again, and that's a long way from 130.
evacuation should not be a problem with surface flows. There would be plenty of time. Day to day living patterns would be extremely challenged if 130 were cut.
The alternate route out isn't getting done, IMHO, because it's not a civil defense project; it's a traffic alleviation project. Thus there are opponents amongst Puna residents as the government would have to exercise eminent domain, NIMBY sentiments (which I would likely have if it were my back yard!), and those who feel another road would just encourage more traffic.
There was a study done on the problems of evacuating Lower Puna, not from a slow lava flow, but from a hypothetical "incident" of hydrogen sulfide gas release from Puna Geothermal. The conclusion was it would be a mess.
However, that concern is easily dealt with; just believe that Puna Geothermal will not have an incident.
evacuation should not be a problem with surface flows. There would be plenty of time. Day to day living patterns would be extremely challenged if 130 were cut.
The alternate route out isn't getting done, IMHO, because it's not a civil defense project; it's a traffic alleviation project. Thus there are opponents amongst Puna residents as the government would have to exercise eminent domain, NIMBY sentiments (which I would likely have if it were my back yard!), and those who feel another road would just encourage more traffic.
There was a study done on the problems of evacuating Lower Puna, not from a slow lava flow, but from a hypothetical "incident" of hydrogen sulfide gas release from Puna Geothermal. The conclusion was it would be a mess.
However, that concern is easily dealt with; just believe that Puna Geothermal will not have an incident.