Power-line failures investigated

Hawaii Electric Light Co. will continue to investigate today what caused two transmission lines to fail Wednesday, forcing Puna Geothermal Venture to shut down its plant and release about 125,000 pounds of steam in Puna as well as small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, officials said.

A hazardous-materials unit found minute amounts of hydrogen sulfide released into the community, Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oli­veira said.

A PGV official said no problems were detected at the plant. The plant was back to full capacity by midnight Wednesday.

About 20,000 HELCO customers across the island lost power at 3:53 p.m. for 15 minutes, a HELCO spokes­woman said. Power was restored using diesel generators.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Moanakai Road being repaved

Kauai County will close a section of Moana­kai Road along Fuji Beach in Kapaa from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today to allow Earthworks Pacific Inc. to repave and make improvements to the roadway from the Makaha Road junction to Lihi Park.

The project is part of the development of a pedestrian/bicycle shoreline path, Ke Ala Hele Maka­lae ("the path that goes by the sea"), the county said.

Motorists wanting to go to Lihi Park or the boat ramp will need to take Kalo­loku Road.

For more information, call Bill McCune of Earthworks, 651-9989, or Galen Gokan of SSFM International at 245-3075.