• Toxic fire in Lihu‘e Toxic fire in Lihu‘e By Barbara Elmore Until this incident, I had always been impressed with the tsunami evacuation routes printed in the phone book and felt confident that Kaua‘i was prepared for emergencies. Now,
• Toxic fire in Lihu‘e
Toxic fire in Lihu‘e
By Barbara Elmore
Until this incident, I had always been impressed with the tsunami evacuation routes printed in the phone book and felt confident that Kaua‘i was prepared for emergencies. Now, I’m not so sure.
The Civil Defense office never notified the County Council, which was in an all-day meeting. Not only were Council members unable to make decisions about building evacuations or other matters, but the people attending the meeting were totally unaware of what was going on and were likewise unable to make decisions about their safety or their families.
I was also amazed the following Thursday, exactly one week after the fire, when the Civil Defense Director appeared before the Council on an unrelated matter, and nothing at all was said or asked about the incident that had occurred seven days earlier.
On the day of the fire, radio coverage was very sparse. Was it announced on FM stations, or just AM? Why were there not continuous announcements for the benefit of those who missed the initial announcement? I’m blaming Civil Defense for these failings, not the radio stations.
When I left the Council meeting early to attend another event, I stopped at the Lihue library briefly, where I learned that a nearby fire had released toxic fumes into the air. Through the library windows, we could see the dark cloud approaching. No one had notified the library to evacuate, even though the fumes were of unknown source and unknown toxicity.
Leaving the library, I sat for a long time in the unmoving traffic on Hardy Street. Finally, I turned back against the traffic and drove over to Rice Street, thinking that because there was a traffic light at the intersection of Rice and Kuhio Highway, I would be able to get on the highway and drive away from the toxic fumes. I saw no evidence of any traffic control whatsoever and was never able to turn right onto the highway, even though there was a traffic light. I finally abandoned my car and walked, breathing in noticeably toxic fumes even more.
The next morning, I attempted to contact the local EPA office, only to learn the closest EPA office was in Honolulu and that no one had contacted them. The state environmental official I did reach on Kaua‘i seemed very blase about the entire matter, stating that no one was qualified to test the air quality and that “the trade winds had taken care of the fumes.”
It has been almost three years since Sept.11, 2001. What happened to our supposed “homeland security” and “domestic preparedness?” What has our Civil Defense Director and his staff been doing all this time, other than collecting regular paychecks?
Does anyone on Kaua‘i feel the least bit safe in case of a terrorist attack or other real emergency?
Barbara Elmore is a resident of Lihu‘e.
