RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Kilauea on the island of Hawaii is one of the most active volcanoes in the world; and

WHEREAS, during eruptions, not only does the volcano produce molten lava, but it also releases gases containing water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide; and

WHEREAS, once airborne, the gases, particularly the sulfur dioxide, react with other chemicals in the air to form both liquid and solid particulate volcanic smog called "vog"; and

WHEREAS, vog is often irritating to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and it has been shown to increase the occurrences of adolescent allergies, asthma, and respiratory disease on the island of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, the wind carries the vog into populated areas, and the direction of the wind determines which part of the island is affected; and

WHEREAS, when the prevailing northeasterly tradewinds are blowing, vog tends to collect on the Kona side of the island before blowing to sea, and when southerly (Kona) winds are blowing, vog affects the Hilo side of the island and may also impact other islands farther up the chain; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health is concerned with the impact that volcanic emissions may have on public health and has been actively involved in monitoring the levels of sulfur dioxide gas and particulate in the ambient air at two monitoring stations, one in Kona and the other at Hilo Hospital; and

WHEREAS, the monitoring stations were placed in these locations because the majority of the population lives and works there; and

WHEREAS, however, the vog monitoring in these areas does not help the residents living and working in surrounding communities, especially near the volcano, which is the source of the emissions; and

WHEREAS, further, there is no notification system in place to alert residents during periods of really high levels of vog emissions; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a working group to develop recommendations for creating a comprehensive vog emissions monitoring system for the island of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group shall be comprised of representatives from the United States Geological Survey, the National Weather Service, the Department of Health, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, the County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management, and the American Lung Association of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group shall:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to report the findings and conclusions of the working group, together with its recommendations for legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, the Governor, the Director of Health, the President of the University of Hawaii, and the President of the American Lung Association.

Report Title:

Vog Monitoring System; Work Group; Island of Hawaii.