Hawaii volcano observatory awaits funds for a new base

HILO, Hawaii — Staff members from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are settling into another temporary office in Hilo, their third move since the Kilauea volcano eruption forced the evacuation of their headquarters in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Friday that Tina Neal, the observatory’s chief scientist, says the relocation should be complete by the end of the month and she expects no glitches in the monitoring of active volcanoes.

The agency is awaiting congressional approval of a bill that would allocate disaster recovery funds and allow it to build new headquarters.

The bill, which could get a vote next week, identifies $72.3 million for repair and replacement of equipment and facilities from disasters in 2018. The USGS would get funding for new headquarters under the recovery bill.

“Until that happens, we don’t have a budget to deal with, to begin to plan,” Neal said.

Hawaii Island will remain the observatorys’ base, she said, even if some staff members move to Oahu, which she says is being considered for additional technical capacity. Concerns that the U.S. Geological Survey was considering moving the facility to Oahu were initially raised by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono in late March in questions to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.

The former headquarters on Kilauea was damaged in numerous collapses and earthquakes last year.

The observatory has about 30 employees. A few will continue to work out of a warehouse in Keaau.