Kona winds bring pollution

Vog blankets islands while turtle wastes wash up on shore

The Maui News and The Associated Press
Kona winds pushing a blanket of vog over the islands on Thursday also may have pushed an accumulation of turtle feces onto the shoreline at Maalaea Bay, state health officials said.

The Maui District Health Office issued a vog health advisory for Maui County on Thursday morning, extending to 6 p.m. today, although the advisory stopped short of issuing a no-burn order.

Also on Thursday morning, Maui police responded to a report of an apparent sewage spill along the beach at Haycraft Park only to determine that the fecal matter washing up along a mile of beach was turtle wastes.

Maui District Health Officer Dr. Lorrin Pang said the turtle wastes are not considered a health hazard for humans, and there are no known diseases transmitted from turtles to people.

“With the calm tides and Kona winds, we can expect to see this occur more often,” Pang said. “The area becomes like a large lagoon, and the waste that is normally washed out with the waves settles along the edges.”

Maalaea Bay is a habitat to both green sea turtles and the more rare hawksbill turtles that are known to nest on the beach at Kealia.

The haze accumulating in the atmosphere around the islands is considered more of a health threat, particularly to individuals who suffer from asthma or other respiratory disabilities. The Health Department caution said anyone with respiratory conditions should limit their exposure to the vog blown in on the Kona winds, remaining indoors in air conditioning when possible.

The vog, or volcanic haze, is made up of sulfur dioxide, particulates and other fumes spewing from the Halemaumau Crater and from the east rift eruption site on Kilauea.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Friday said small amounts of ash and elevated amounts of sulfur dioxide are still issuing from the vents along with a continuing flow of lava that is entering the ocean at Ki and Waikupanaha.

With southerly winds pushing the volcanic emissions across the Big Island, Hawaii County Civil Defense posted emergency health advisories, including a Code Yellow notice for areas of East Hawaii that individuals sensitive to air pollutants should avoid all outdoor activity. A Code Green warning was in effect for West Hawaii districts, indicating lower levels of vog that do not pose health risks.

The Volcanoes National Park was open to visitors, although the road around Halemaumau remained closed. At both the Kilauea Visitor Center and the Jaggar Museum, sulfur dioxide concentrations remained below advisory levels.

The Kona winds, caused by a frontal band approaching Kauai, spread the haze across the state, obscuring views of Diamond Head and the Koolau Mountains on Oahu, while creating brilliant sunrises and sunsets.

The National Weather Service said the cold front is expected to begin to dissipate today through Saturday, allowing a high-pressure system to move back to a more normal position northeast of the state. Light trade winds are expected to return early next week and will help to blow the haze away from the islands again.

For the weekend, the forecast was for the light winds to remain, keeping the haze over the islands, with warmer days and cooler nights.

At Kahului Airport, the Kona winds remained light at 9 to 10 mph through most of Thursday morning. Light northerly sea breezes began pushing back in the afternoon but the accumulation of haze and smoke cut visibility at the airport to six miles at 3 p.m.

‘‘Air quality and weather conditions are being closely monitored and if any changes occur that might affect your safety, you will be informed,’’ Civil Defense advised residents.

Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983, mostly pouring out slow-moving lava at the east rift site below the Puu Oo crater. But in mid-March, a new vent formed at Halemaumau, giving the volcano two large sulfur dioxide outlets instead of one.

The Volcano Observatory said sulfur dioxide emissions at Kilauea were measured at 810 metric tons a day on Monday, well above normal levels of 120 to 200 metric tons a day.

On the Net:

• Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/

• Department of Health air quality: hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html