Public comment is being sought on the draft environmental review to restore roadways and water lines in Puna, following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
An estimated $88 million in infrastructure restoration projects are being planned by Hawaiʻi County in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Puna County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz said the assessment is long overdue, affecting everything from a Request for Proposals to a Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI.
"It's been a very frustrating process, and there have been times where I think we have felt that we wanted to give up," she said.
"But this I think restores hope. The fact that we are now back on track, that we have this document," Kierkiewicz added.
She wants people to know that officials have been "trigger ready" to begin restoring critical infrastructure; she anticipates work will proceed quickly once the FONSI is issued.
Kierkiewicz said she is interested in hearing public feedback on the EA's plans for caring for iwi kūpuna, or ancestral remains, as well as preserving the area’s natural and cultural resources.
The deadline for public comment is Sept. 5, 2023. A public meeting is being held on Aug. 8 over Zoom beginning at 5 p.m.
More information is available online at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov.
