Question: Whatever happened to the Kapoho Vacationland subdivision on Hawaii island, where a storm surge from Tropical Storm Iselle pushed debris into anchialine ponds?
Answer: About two dozen volunteers recently stepped in to help clear debris, ranging from bulky items to green waste, from the ponds. The county helped arrange the cleanup, shuttling inmates from the Hawaii Community Correctional Center’s Hale Nani community-based reintegration program. Volunteers from the Hawaii Island United Way as well as residents in the community also participated.
Private companies donated equipment and manpower.
The Vacationland Hawaii Community Association said about 30 large trash containers were filled with green waste that included broken tree branches and coconuts pushed into the ponds by the Aug. 7-8 storm surge.
Bulky items such as refrigerators, car bumpers and scrap metal were also removed from the ponds.
Matson donated a 45-foot-long container to fill with debris.
Jim Lehner of the community association said he was grateful for the outpouring of community support in cleanup efforts as well as those who provided ice and food.
"It’s phenomenal," he said. "I don’t know where you can find that much giving except here."
The community association chipped in about $8,000 for the cleanup, said its president, Greg Braun.
Some ponds still need to be cleared, but are on land with absentee owners.
Resident Chris Biltoft recommended a filtration system as a long-term solution to remove muck from decaying debris.
"Of course, it takes funding," he said. "At this point, there’s no funding for the majority of the ponds."
In the aftermath of Iselle, Biltoft called for assistance from experts to help remove debris due to concerns about possible hazardous fluids, such as paint and weed-killer products, that had been pushed into the ponds during the storm.
Keith Kawaoka, manager of the Department of Health’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office, said workers collected water samples soon after the storm to test for contaminants from hazardous fluids and sewage from damaged cesspools and septic tanks. Test results detected no chemical or bacteriological matter in the water.
The office also collected samples to test for hydrogen sulfide in response to complaints of a foul odor. Kawaoka said tests didn’t indicate hydrogen sulfide in the ponds.
Unaffected by the storm were the Wai’opae Tidepools, also known as the Kapoho Tidepools, a marine life conservation district that borders the Kapoho Vacationland subdivision. The tidepools are a popular snorkeling site, attracting about 80,000 people a year.
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This update was written by Rosemarie Bernardo.
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