Hawaii has signed an emergency proclamation to address safety threats posed by ongoing volcanic eruptions near a geothermal power plant storing flammables.
Acolumn of robust, reddish-brown ash plume occurred after a magnitude 6.9 South Flank of Kīlauea earthquake shook the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Photo: US Geological Survey
Lava flow on the Big Island is reportedly just kilometres from the geothermal plant housing 60,000 gallons of pentane gas and geothermal wells.
Hawaii Governor David Ige said this proclamation was necessary to ensure the power plant operator could react quickly enough to ensure public safety.
"We will be reviewing the existing actions already taken by Geothermal Puna Venture and the two concerns that we are planning for and working to mitigate is that there is a flammable solvent that is used in production of electricity at the plant, pentane,and we want to make sure we can remove it from the site," said David Ige.
Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, Kilauea volcano. Photo: U.S. Geological Survey
David Ige also said the plant does not pose any immediate risk to the public, but the proclamation comes just days after public concern over the closeness of the power plant to a fissure.
