Page 32 - aruba-today-20180721

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 21 July 2018
Hawaii town hopes lava tourism will bring economic relief

By AUDREY McAVOY "They've effectively cut
Associated Press my business' legs off. And
HONOLULU (AP) — Stunning there's nothing that can be
images of Hawaii's erupt- done to save it unless they
ing Kilauea volcano have reopen the tourism industry,
captivated people around unless they stop criminaliz-
the world. But ironically it's ing people for wanting to
nearly impossible for resi- see lava," Tarson said.
dents and visitors on the He argues guides like him-
ground to see the lava — self have years of experi-
a fact that's squeezing the ence and can continue
tourism-dependent local to take tourists to see lava
economy. safely. Instead, his custom-
Big Island businesses are ers are cancelling reserva-
calling for a lava view- tions into the new year be-
ing site, but authorities say cause they don't believe
they're finding it difficult to they'll be allowed to see
set one up while keeping molten rock.
people safe. Restaurants and shops in
The risks posed by the vol- Pahoa have lost 50 percent
cano came into sharp fo- to 90 percent of their busi-
cus this week when lava ness, said Matthew Purvis,
flowing into the ocean trig- In this May 19, 2018, file photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, lava flows from fissures near president of the Mainstreet
gered an explosion that Pahoa, Hawaii. Pahoa Association. This is
sent a hot rock the size Associated Press partly because many resi-
of a basketball crashing dents have lost their homes
through a tour boat's roof. island, where tourism has viewing site to bring visitors set aside some newly hard- and moved, but a sig-
One woman broke her leg, dropped since Kilauea be- back to Pahoa. ened rocks for tourists to nificant chunk is because
while nearly two dozen oth- gan erupting in a residential "Our town is dying very, touch as consolation. fewer tourists are visiting.
ers suffered minor burns neighborhood and burning very fast and very, very dra- Ley noted Kilauea is be- The worst-hit are those that
and scrapes. down homes in May. matically," said Ruderman, having differently than in cater to travelers, like gift
Diane Ley, Hawaii County's Downtown Pahoa, which is who owns a natural foods the past, when lava flowed shops. Purvis' own place,
director of research and just a few miles from where store in Pahoa. "It's need- from a different spot and the Tin Shack Bakery, has
development, said she's the volcano is pumping a less because if we could through uninhabited land. lost about half its business,
been working on setting up river of molten rock into the get the word out that our It also is producing more he said.
a lava viewing site for near- ocean, has been hit partic- town is open for business, lava — erupting as much Hawaii County Council-
ly two months, consulting ularly hard. The small, rural we could still save it." as 3,500 cubic feet (100 woman Eileen O'Hara said
with federal scientists and town serves as a gateway Currently, only helicopter cubic meters) per second the county should contract
the county's civil defense to Hawaii Volcanoes Na- and boat-tour passengers now compared with about several tour companies to
administrator. The injuries tional Park, which is normal- — paying about $250 each 141 cubic feet (4 cubic me- operate shuttle buses from
from the tour boat only vali- ly the state's most popular — are able to see the lava ters) two years ago. the center of Pahoa town
date the county's caution, tourist attraction but has in person. She doesn't know when to Leilani Estates, where
she said. closed indefinitely because The area where lava is the county will be ready lava is coming up through
"That's a challenge — to of dangers to visitors and bursting from the ground is but envisions a viewing site the ground. She said the
find us a site that is safe from staff. under a mandatory evacu- where tour buses could go bus could circle around to
volcanic hazards, emissions As recently as April, trav- ation order. Residents near- and not private cars. The let passengers take photos
and can afford the abil- elers could watch molten by may go to their homes, county may select several but keep them inside, pro-
ity for large numbers to be rock in the park's lava lake but the county restricts sites and open them as tected from any volcanic
able to come in and view," and hike to remote spots to access for everyone else conditions allow, she said. gases.
she said. see flowing lava. except scientists, authori- John Tarson, owner of Epic "It's really important they
Still, pressures are mount- State Sen. Russell Ruder- ties like the National Guard Lava Tours, said the current consider doing this as
ing from merchants, tour man said the county needs and a handful of escorted restrictions are crushing quickly as possible," O'Hara
guides and others on the to urgently set up a lava media. him. said.q
Officials have cracked
down on violators, issuing
citations to more than 80
people for loitering in a re-
stricted disaster area.
Kilauea, which has been
erupting continuously for
35 years, has long attract-
ed travelers. About 5,000
people a day descended
on an official county lava
viewing spot in May 1990
as molten rock slowly con-
sumed the town of Kala-
pana, the Honolulu Adver-
tiser reported. That's even
In this long exposure photo taken Tuesday July 3, 2018, the night though the spot offered In this May 15, 2018 file photo, offerings sit on a sign welcoming
sky is illuminated by a lava eruption in Pahoa, Hawaii. views of cooled, not flow- people to Pahoa, Hawaii.
Associated Press Associated Press
ing, lava. County workers