According to county public information officer, Cyndi Mei Ozaki, the state health department offcials on Kaua‘i do not have the instruments to measure what toxic chemicals might have been in the air yesterday and in what levels they might have
According to county public information officer, Cyndi Mei Ozaki, the state health department offcials on Kaua‘i do not have the instruments to measure what toxic chemicals might have been in the air yesterday and in what levels they might have occurred.
But Kaua‘i Fire Department, as part of their Hazardous Materials equipment, can measure certain substances and their levels, but not what was in the air yesterday, she said.
As for why Kapule Highway was closed and why residents in three Lihu‘e subdivisions were told to stay inside, Ozaki said the health department recommended the closures because of what was burning.
State health department officials decided that white goods, such as refrigerators, microwaves, and other appliances, could contain freon, insulation, and plastics that, when burned, could cause health problems, she said.
While the experts at the state Department of Health made the recommendations, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste made the ultimate decision, Ozaki said.
