Dispatches from Volcano: Sunday, July 7, 2019... a segue into Perplexed Befuddlement (again)

Another sunny summer morn up here. Breezes rustle lau ʻōlapa, hāpuʻu fronds wave lazily, hatches are mostly battened for forecast rains, and life is generally good. Up here.

The Apoplectic Outrage last time was triggered by that youtube video I linked to, posted of drone footage over the Highway 132 (re)construction. That route from Lava Tree State Monument to 4Corners at Kapoho. Todays Perplexed Befuddlement, I just (!) realized, is because I canʻt understand why that more than a few people (many, though thankfully not all, in Island of Hawaiʻi County government) canʻt seem to "get" or understand the import of the workings of Pelehonuamea last summer.

Iʻve been emailing with various folks in the County, hoping for an "Ah-HAH" moment of sorts. By either of us. They in the County are on a roll, bulldozing, and likely paving a replacement for Hwy132 over its previous route. And Iʻll guess that County, having stated as much, is planning to do the same for Pohoiki Road from Lava Tree State Monument to Pohoiki.

Repaving/Reconstruction/Re-Whatever is being paid for, as far as I can understand, by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funding to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Maybe $12,000,000 for HWY132, and $30,000,000 for Pohoiki Road. Gotta love all those zeroes. FHA funds come with, not strings, but heavy duty ropes attached. FHA doesnʻt say hereʻs a bunch of money. GoFix. They say hereʻs a bunch of money. And by the way, the fixing has to be to our standards. You cannot make a little gravel road over the surface of still-warm pele so lava-locked residents can access their properties and livelihoods. Cannot. You gotta make a BIG road. Two lanes, wide shoulders, with appropriate grades and sightlines so people can go fast.

Because the County accepted tens of millions of dollars, they are locked-in to building-to-standards. No matter that HWY132 is along the middle of the axis of the lower East Rift Zone. Thatʻs OK. Itʻs Federal money, not ours.

Oh. And because FHWA issued a finding, under 36CFR800, of "No potential to cause effects", we thankfully donʻt have to be concerned that road-building will bother the still-warm body of Pele, or that the route(s) of the roads pass many wahi pana (legendary places). There will be no effects.

36CFR800 Protection of Historic Properties

CFR = Code of Federal Regulations. I am far from expert on matters of law, but when in doubt about issues, "Read The Law" is my mantra. I recall that a Historic Property does not have to be officially "listed", it simply has to qualify for listing for protections to apply. And yes, many of these matters may be subjective.

The BOLD above are mine. Think: For IIA: the Event is The Eruption. For IIB: Signifinant Person = Pele. For IID: Significant Information = Helping us understand the workings of Pele. Think: Religion = Pelehonuamea "A religious property" = the pele (lava flows). They were certainly of historical and exceptional importance. Or so I thought. But of course in Bureaucratlandia, maybe not so much.

Alan Downer, the Administrator of State Historic Preservation Division, on May 3, 2019, wrote to Michael Yee, Planning Director, County of Hawaiʻi, about the construction activities on highways in Puna ma kai.

Mr Downer states "The project area...involving road restoration through fresh lava rock. ...grading activities to facilitate the restoration of lava inundated roads along Highway 132...Highway 137...and Pohoiki Road." Too, Mr. Downer states that "While historic properties may have been present within the vicinity of the project area, the new lava has completely inundated any remnants that may have remained on the land near the current project area." So of course the importance, the mana associated with any of those sites...pppfffttt. Evaporated, disappeared, buried, as if they never existed, and are of no consequence.

The letter also states that "The FHWA indicated...that...the proposed undertaking is a type of activity that does not have the potential to cause effects on historic properties, therefore the agency has no further obligations under NHPA Section 106."

warm pele lava

deep gashes through her body

no matter build road

To summarize Federal, State, County: Only get fresh lava rock, no moʻ historic sites, go make roads. Oh. Highway 137 is the coast road between Kapoho and Pohoiki. Sounds like thatʻll be reopened at some point too.

Why?

I did not read, in any of emails and other documents, any reference, at all, to Pelehonuamea. No. Reference. At. All. Learning from and talking with kumu (teachers and mentors) over the years, it was made abundantly clear to me that lava, both molten and hardened is the body of Pele. So it follows that Pele should be respected. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (all National Parks) view geologic features as worthy of protection. And Hawaiʻi Volcanoes went further, with a policy specifically barring visitors from poking sticks into molten lava (the body of Pele) and disturbing her. But bulldozers arenʻt sticks so thatʻs OK? Oh right. The lava isnʻt molten. Itʻs hard. And the smoking wooden power poles along the PGV road? Weʻll replace with metal, or insulate the wood ones. Itʻs All Good.

I also learned that still-warm flows indicate that Pele is present. Not only till vegetation starts to grow on fresh pele, does Pelehonuamea begin to yield to her younger sister Hiʻiaka, the regenerative elemental who brings plant growth to her sisterʻs works.

But none of this matters, because, as the following two Questions/Answers I sent/received from Public Works states, none of that matters. People need to access their properties, no matter what.

Does anyone understand or believe that lava is a body form of Pele, and that disfiguring a fresh lava flow in this fashion is, at best, disrespectful?

Yes, many throughout our communities including folks working in government ‘understand or believe that lava is a body form of Pele, and that disfiguring a fresh lava flow in this fashion is, at best, disrespectful.’ However, the County also has an obligation to the displaced residents to restore County roads providing access to their homes and businesses as part of the ongoing recovery efforts to help bring a sense of normalcy to people’s lives.

Does anyone understand that this work is on the axis of the East Rift Zone, and at some point in the future will be buried again? How is the expense justified?

The County has received tremendous community feedback by those that live in lower Puna and whose lives were directly impacted by the loss of Highway 132, to reopen this crucial thoroughfare so that residents could return to their homes and businesses. Fellow Big Island residents with homes and farms that have been land locked by lava have voiced great relief about being able to once again reach their farms (livelihoods) and homes.

My consternation comes from my thinking (obviously wrong-headed) that the County couldʻve/shouldʻve found monies to make basic temporary access roads - gravel, limited to residents - to allow access to properties. Yes, I understand the challenges of doing that. Kamaʻāina and Malihini like GoLook. But I have to believe that there are solutions to challenges. County couldʻve provided access without having to deal with the cumbersome requirements and strings attached to Federal funds. Look at the simple, inexpensive, light-on-the-land route that PGV built. Look at the rip-and-tear highway the County is building.

Of course we need roads, of course we need housing and infrastructure, and I am NOT saying donʻt build anything on lava. But after decades of renaissance-ing Native Hawaiian culture, should not we be doing better? Should we not be considering effects related to Pelehonuamea, ESPECIALLY after the profoundly historic events of The Three Months? Apparently not. How sad is that?

So it seems that "Recovery" means getting people back to where and how they were. Sure thing...Return to The Land. No problem. Lava Hazard Zone 1? Who cares? We saw homes, farms, properties, roads, infrastructure inundated or otherwise damaged in 1790, 1840, 1955, 1960, 1977, 1983-2018. Eruptions, lava flows, earthquakes, subsidence, tsunami, theyʻre all good. Weʻll show the world our Resolve and Resilience and RECOVER. What an amazing thing! Then thereʻs that cliche phrase: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over, and expecting a different result. Or something like that. Wouldnʻt be so bad if Recovery didnʻt cost millions and millions of dollars.

But must be: Iʻm wrong-headed, I donʻt understand, pua ting da people, gotta kōkua.

Meantime, aftershocks of the M6.9 rattle my nerves, Maunaloa just got an upgrade, and may the gods help us all if Pele moves house and visits Maunaloa. Then what? I canʻt see that any lessons were learned last year. When Maunaloa erupts, that may turn out to be another catastrophe. Oh, but thatʻs OK. Weʻll Recover.

Remember these graphics? I know...How can we forget...