Volcano blamed for fouled air on Jan. 1
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
The white-gray stuff wafting about the Islands as the sun rose on New Year's Day was volcanic ash from Kilauea's long-running eruption, not smoke and soot from New Year's Eve fireworks, according to the Hawai'i Health Department's Clean Air Branch.
Associated Press
"It was just the vog moving in (from the Big Island)," said Willie Nagamine, Clean Air Branch manager.
Kilauea continued to pour lava into the ocean yesterday, the 20th anniversary of the eruption. "Vog" — volcanic smog — occasionally drifts from the Big Island to O'ahu.
Air quality data collected New Year's Eve and New Year's Day showed that particles large enough to be attributed to fireworks peaked at about 1 a.m. Jan. 1, Naga-
mine said. None of the air particle levels, when averaged over a 24-hour period, exceeded federal and state clean-air standards of 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
Only one of the five monitors showed an increased number of particles collected this year compared with the previous New Year's celebration, he said.
At 1 a.m. Jan. 1, 2002, the monitor in Kapolei Business Park showed 461 micrograms per cubic meter. At the same time on New Year's Day 2003, the monitor read 968.
All the other monitors showed levels at least slightly lower than last year's, Nagamine said. Despite hopes for trade winds to clear the air, kona winds prevailed during both celebrations.
Nagamine said the increase shown on the Kapolei monitor may have been due to population growth that led to more people shooting off fireworks, but could also have been due to localized gusts.
The other three monitors on O'ahu also zoomed to several times the federal standard between midnight and 1 a.m. New Year's Day, but fell off long before dawn and averaged out well within safe limits, Nagamine said.
The Honolulu monitor, at 1250 Punchbowl St., peaked at 452. The Liliha monitor, at 1486 'A'ala St., showed 476 micrograms per cubic meter. The Pearl City monitor at 860 Fourth St. showed 891.
There are no safety standards for one-hour periods, Nagamine said. The federal and state standards apply only to 24-hour periods.
The fifth monitor, in Hale Pi'ilani Park in Kihei, Maui, did not appear to fluctuate with fireworks use, Nagamine said. The monitors are used year-round by the Health Department.
