Approaching lava threatens critical Big Isle waste station

HILO » Lava flowing from Kilauea Volcano continued on a path toward Pahoa town Wednesday while Hawaii County officials made preparations to relocate a critical waste and recycling transfer station and nervous residents continued to make evacuation plans.

After stalling and restarting over the past few weeks, the lava has advanced about 200 yards since Monday and was within a mile of Apaa Street and the waste transfer station in Pahoa.

The leading edge remained on a narrow path about 100 to 110 yards wide, said Steve Brantley, acting scientist in charge for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

In its path is the transfer station, which could be overrun within two weeks. Environmental management officials have identified alternative sites and are making plans to relocate waste and recycling services, said Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira.

They’re "anticipating that eventually they’ll need to possibly terminate operations," Oliveira told reporters in a conference call Wednesday.

Lynda Carroll, a small business owner from Leilani Estates, had planned to celebrate her daughter’s wedding at Pohoiki Beach next month.

Instead, the impending lava is sending Carroll to Oregon to live with her daughter.

"She realized she should stop people from buying tickets and getting stranded, and we didn’t think it was fair to have people spend a lot of money when the air quality might not be good," Carroll said.

Hawaii health officials are urging lower Puna residents who receive oxygen, dialysis treatment and other recurring health care to relocate as medical services could be limited or cut off if lava crosses the area’s main artery, Highway 130, said Department of Health spokes- woman Janice Okubo.

Volcano scientists and Civil Defense officials are preparing for the possibility that lava will reach the highway within a month, which Carroll said would change the area forever.

"Everybody is trying to figure it out and how crazy it might get as we get closer to the lava," Carroll said. "How will people get to and from work? It will keep people from being able to get gas and groceries and drive around. It’s all so unexpected."

Carroll, who has lived in lower Puna for three years, already is preparing to miss the area as it exists today.

"I’ll miss my little town and Pahoa transfer station and driving down to Pohoiki," she said. "I’ll miss my friends. There are a lot of people moving."

Matt and Noelle Purvis, owners of the Tin Shack Bakery in Pahoa, have witnessed the exodus out of lower Puna but plan to stay and use their shop as a community gathering place to distribute food and water.

"Personally, we have a lot of people who have left," Noelle Purvis said. "But on the other hand, we’ve talked to a lot of people who don’t know what’s going to happen and carry on as normal."

Unlike Tropical Storm Iselle, which blew across Puna in August, the slow-moving nature of the latest natural disaster gives people plenty of time to figure out what to do.

"People have had time to think wisely about how to be prepared if," Noelle Purvis said. "It’s been helpful to have a lot of time."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.