STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1327

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 51

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 51 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO DEVELOP AN EVACUATION PLAN FOR THE AREAS WITHIN LAVA ZONES 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 6,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to develop an evacuation plan for the areas within lava zones 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

Your Committee did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth, rising approximately 13,680 feet above the Pacific Ocean and encompasses more than half the area of the island of Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that the Kilauea volcano is currently erupting with lava pouring into the lava lake within Halemaumau crater. There are numerous volcanic hazards associated with a Mauna Loa eruption and the active Kilauea volcano. Lava flows from Kilauea and Mauna Loa will interfere with human activity and infrastructure as development and communities increase around these active volcanos, including but not limited to the South Kona and Kau areas. Perhaps the greatest risk is the lack of a plan to evacuate the residents of these areas in the event of a lava flow. As such, it is critical that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency be prepared to respond to county requests for state assistance in the case of hazardous volcanic activity. This measure urges the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to develop an evacuation plan for the South Kona and Kau areas so that the residents can be quickly evacuated should volcanic activity become hazardous in those areas.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 51 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair