Yesterday, the County of Hawai’i announced the completion of the Puna Road and Waterline Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which is currently available for public review.
This marks the next step in $88 million in infrastructure restoration projects, making up $82 million for roads and $6 million for waterlines, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
The draft EA covers the road and waterline construction on Upper and Lower Pohoiki Road, road and waterline construction from Highway 137 Kapoho Beach Road to Pohoiki Road, road construction for Highway 137 Pohoiki Road to MacKenzie, and finally, road construction at Lighthouse Road and Four Corners to Kapoho Beach Road.
In a press release Mayor Mitch Roth said, “We’re excited to see that FEMA has completed their portion of the Environmental Assessment for our project. It’s a significant milestone that brings us closer to breaking ground. We appreciate the community’s patience and support, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of our hard work in the upcoming construction phase.”
A 30-day public comment review period for the assessment is currently taking place through September 5.
In partnership with FEMA, the County will also hold a public review meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, August 8 from 5-6:30 p.m. on Zoom.
The completion of the EA is a required step that must be finished before construction can begin and ensures the County follows the National Environmental Policy Act rules and regulations. Now that the draft EA is published, FEMA expects to finalize the EA in September 2023 and the County will receive a Notice to Proceed thereafter, allowing formal design plans for the roads and waterlines to be submitted for review which will lead to construction beginning early next year.
Key dates for the draft EA are as follows:
August 3, 2023: EA is released and 30-day comment period begins
August 8, 2023: Public meeting held over zoom
September 5, 2023: Comment period ends
FEMA is contributing a $61.5 million grant for impacted County roads and a $30 million grant for impacted water infrastructure due to the eruption. These grants are provided on a reimbursement basis and cover 75% of the costs that were estimated in a damage assessment. The remainder of the funding comes from the County.
For more information on the full scope of investments to restore infrastructure following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption visit recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/infrastructure.
The public can review and comment on the EA at the Department of Public Works website: www.dpw.hawaiicounty.gov/resources/bulletins#Engineering
All comments must be received in writing and will be accepted through September 5, 2023. Comments should be mailed to: Regional Environmental Officer, FEMA Region 9, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94607-4052. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail (preferred) to fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema.dhs.gov; please include “Puna Road Repair and Water Line Installation” in your subject line.
For more information, including the link for the Zoom meeting visit recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/infrastructure.
