Why no access for those isolated by flow?

[Obie]

"Indefinite permitting delays" are not a policy statement.

It's not the county causing the delay.

It's the state that is requiring the survey to make sure somebody's uncle Kimo isn't buried under the road.

Next step is an EPA NPDES permit.National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

Again we are talking about replacing an existing road, should be a no brainer.

In Vacationland it took us 10 years to get all of those permits done.

[terracore]

"Harry has been a life long, and very active behind the scenes, Republican. But we did away with partisan politics in our local elections and as such that side of Harry has never been exposed."

Did your auto-correct accidentally change "tax and spend party-line democrat" to "Republican" ?

[kalakoa]

It's not the county causing the delay.

County had no problem using an emergency declaration to build a temporary road to Pohoiki. This road is vital to our local economy and has already attracted $500K in research funding.

Roads anywhere else had to wait until after the emergency declaration expired, so now are subject to all the regulations (which could take years).

Now: who declared the emergency and also required a waiting period for new road construction? Was that not the County?

It's ultimately all just people: various State agencies have the option to expedite their grant of permission. County could probably declare an emergency. Ige could step up and declare an emergency. They call the Big Island "the breadbasket of the state" and everyone says local food production is important. They must mean something else by that.

[geochem]

[quote]Originally posted by glinda

.... Telling me that Harry has been a life long, and very active behind the scenes, Republican....

I now see it. And as with all things the Republican party does, I am disgusted by his approach to governance. It is selfish. It is partisan. Harry does not represent his constituency, but rather is a tyrant that does what he pleases without accountability. As all Republicans do.

/quote]

glinda, you are pretty entertaining: all Democrats are saints and all Republicans are devils... Wrong on both counts, all are politicians and all will tell you whatever comforting lies that they think will get them elected. You choose to believe the Democrat lies, and others choose to believe the Republican lies - and if those lies continue to get both elected, they will keep telling them. Harry's no different than he has always been - he'll pander to whichever interest group he thinks will vote for him. He doesn't give a rats rectum about lower Puna beyond the (net) tax generated from Puna and the votes it provides. If you weren't born on the island, he cares even less about what happens to you or how unhappy you are with the county government.

A couple of decades ago, he wasn't willing to lift a finger to try to redirect residential development away from the high hazard zone areas on the island - it would have cost him money and political capital. Now that the inevitable has happened and Pele has come to visit, he figures he will wait everyone out and the county will get the land for free when people abandon their lots and stop paying taxes on them - what's not to like (for him) about that outcome?

[Obie]

"A couple of decades ago, he wasn't willing to lift a finger to try to redirect residential development away from the high hazard zone areas on the island "

He talks about that in the documentary that will be on KHNL at 9:00 PM on Friday the 3rd :

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/05/03...rney-home/

[MarkD]

glinda: "I still think the community should have grabbed a bulldozer and on a Friday night carved their own access across the flow."

And as with all things the Republican party does, I am disgusted (Harry's) his approach to governance.

- - - -

Republicans are infinitely more open to what you suggest with the bulldozers than Democrats. In two minor takeovers of federal land in the West in the past decade by anti-regulation Republican ranchers, a bulldozer was used illegally and federal facilities were commandeered. At the heart of it was opposition to regulation.

They were essentially given a pass on being seriously prosecuted by Republican law enforcement.

Democrats are insane with all their regulations. Flat out deranged. Another example: I walked through downtown Hilo 2 nites ago at 10 p.m.--saw at least 20 homeless sleeping in doorways. Rubbish and belonging all over the place. Both a sad and unsanitary situation. They are using restrooms who knows where.

All these people could be housed on any unused plot of state or county land 2 acres in size. Get a surplus tent, a bunch of cots, some sorta-potties and do it. Could be done in a week.

Democratic officials are failing miserably to deal with this, and when someone suggests they deal with pressing problems, they come up with a load of B.S.--a long list of regulatory reasons they can't do X or Y or Z. It's so tiresome.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

the community should have grabbed a bulldozer and on a Friday night carved their own access across the flow."

Retired auto dealer Jimmy Pflueger grabbed his bulldozer and modified the perimeter of a water reservoir on Kauai, killed seven people and created one of the most devastating environmental disasters in Hawaii’s history.

[randomq]

Yes ripping and rolling a road over a lava field is just like weakening a dam. We obviously need more studies.

[Chunkster]

Today's HNL Star-Advertiser has a feature article on rebuilding in Lava Zones 1 and 2 which also mentions road reopenings:

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/05/0...d883d580c9

This will probably go behind the pay wall any moment, so here are a couple of interesting exerpts:

Since the eruption subsided in August, county officials say, 127 people have pulled permits to build or rebuild in Lava Zone 1, which includes areas experiencing recent flows. Nearly half of those building permits are for Leilani Estates, a residential subdivision where the first of 24 fissures began spewing lava one year ago today.

It didn't say if any permits had been approved, but given the speed at which the process "works," I wouldn't be surprise if the answer is zero. Harry Kim's executive assistant, Ray Takemoto, said a moratorium on construction would be desirable, but there is no emergency proclamation to allow it.

Data compiled by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz’s office as of April 15 show the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided or committed to provide $177 million to help repair public facilities such as roads, waterlines and parks, while the U.S. Department of Transportation agreed to provide nearly $22 million more.

The above dollar figure does not include $60 million approved by the legislature for loans and grants.

And finally, they do mention a temporary access road in this last snip:

In an emailed response to questions, DPW said it plans to complete the permitting and design work for the temporary road by August, with construction to follow. The Federal Highways Administration will pay the entire cost of the temporary road, which is to be completed by Oct. 5.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

just like weakening a dam.

Both can have unintended consequences, which are only apparent after the fact. The yahoo citizen bulldozer operator is not much different than the government bureaucrat who takes five years for a study. Both operate from the illusory margins of good decision making.

Let’s say Kimo grabs a dozer and pushes a road through, portions of which will probably traverse private property as what’s to guide him? When it’s completed Harry could then install a locked metal gate. Or dump a load of boulders at the entry. He could prevent access in an hour or two.