Focus on roads
I am glad the County Council is now taking the lead on efforts to restore public road access to lava-isolated areas in Puna. The people whose homes were destroyed by lava have it tough — but the hundreds of those whose lava-surrounded homes were fortunately spared by Pele also have it tough and are anxious to return, and government should help them with access as soon as possible.
Restoration of roads is not such a big deal, and rough, but safe and passable roadways can be bulldozed through on top of flows quickly and inexpensively. Making public roads such as Highway 132 passable needs to be made an urgent priority. Private rough roads can be opened for low cost by affected landowners once the public arteries are accessible.
Modern, large bulldozers are amazing machines, and with little excavation, rough roads can be cleared over lava flows in only a few weeks time. Large amounts of crushed rock need to be laid down to make roads passable by ordinary vehicles, and local crushing plants can be set up quickly where that rock will be needed — to avoid long transport from Hilo-area quarries. (that’s one blessing left by Pele — Puna now has lots of easily crushable rock!)
Restoration of paving will eventually be appropriate, but that’s a long way down the road — after volcanologists are sure Pele is pau erupting for now, which she almost certainly is.
The concerns about “molten rock” underlying fresh lava are unwarranted. With the heavy rains of the past summer, no molten rock remains and the possibility that still-incandescent rocks lie within the thickest flows is not a problem. The county should never consider removing lava to original depths except where very thin. When Pele covers roads deeply (flows are more than 75 feet thick over parts of Highway 132!), extensive excavation should never be considered, and new roadways belong above, and not within, the lava flows. Deep road cuts are dangerous, restrict view and make access to side roads difficult.
Besides allowing access to now isolated homes, roads are needed so farmers can return to their lands as soon as possible. Papayas are amazing plants, and grow well with little soil. After the 1955 eruption, papayas planted by resilient farmers were again fruiting less than a year after those flows cooled. In fact, fresh lava contains no soil pathogens or weeds and are ideal for growing papaya!
I’m guessing Pele will be sleeping within Kilauea for a long time, as she warms her fires beneath Mauna Loa for her next eruption up there on Kilauea’s big sister. So let’s get on with it now and help the people of Puna return to their land and rebuild their lives and livelihoods where possible.
Government has a critical role to play in this recovery — and restoration of roadways is the first priority!
John Lockwood
Hilo
