Keep lava viewing at a safe distance

Kilauea has been erupting virtually continuously for 35 years, with sporadic stretches in which lava pours into the sea. Back in early January, after more than a year of flow into waters edging the East Rift Zone, the fiery show suddenly stopped, initially leaving scientists with few clues as to when it would again reach the ocean.

By early May, though, with cracks forming in roadways near Leilani Estates in Puna and area residents bracing for evacuation, fresh clues quickly multiplied. Then, within three weeks, the breathtaking lava-spilling-into-the-Pacific show resumed. It has now been underway without pause for almost nine weeks.

From a perspective focused solely on tourism, the rift zone’s current show is somewhat frustrating as the only sightseeing option is offshore.

And because there’s no telling when it will stop again, visitors and residents eager for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime up-close viewing, are snapping up lava tour boat seats — even in the aftermath of a frightening incident on Monday morning, in which basketball-sized molten rock punched through the roof of a vessel, injuring 23 people.

The incident, which occurred within a U.S. Coast Guard-implemented safety zone surrounding the ocean entry area, prompts questions about how best to manage and size up limits on access to this in-demand yet unpredictable sightseeing attraction.

Officials warn of the danger of getting close to lava entering the ocean as, for starters, the interaction can create hazardous clouds of acid and fine glass. In the case of the boat incident now under investigation, an explosion beneath the water’s surface had launched the hot rocks that hit a Lava Ocean Tours vessel situated about 200 yards from the entry area shoreline.

In the immediate aftermath of emergency response, the Coast Guard rightly moved a boundary line for all tour boats to 300 meters from the lava entry area. In the past, when tour operators have been limited to that distance, there were no reports of so-called lava bombs doing damage to passengers on tour boats.

However, the agency had been allowing experienced boat operators to secure a special permit to get closer to the entry area. Just last week it had relaxed a 100- meter boundary to 50 meters for Lava Ocean Tours, which has been state-licensed since 2006 to provide daily service to the current ocean entry site. It’s unclear why the Coast Guard has allowed special permits to float closer to potential trouble, and it’s concerning that others monitoring the flow, including Hawaii island’s Mayor Harry Kim had been unaware of the sign-off on the 50-meter mark.

What is clear is that the demand to see the lava will continue until the geological spigot turns off. In the case of Lava Ocean Tours and other operators, many people are continuing to pay upwards of $200 for a three-hour tour. Moving forward, county, state and federal agencies must step up efforts to consult one another and coordinate oversight issues tied to lava viewing. Also, a redoubled priority should be set on establishing an on-land area for public viewing.

Two-thirds of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been closed for two months due to damaging earthquakes, corrosive volcanic ash and explosions from Halemaumau, the summit crater. In the absence of full access to that longtime go-to site for lava viewing, substitute sites are needed.

Government and visitor industry officials initiated a push, several weeks ago, to open up areas to public viewing. The move should continue. While sorting through options, in addition to public safety, officials should stress environmental protections.

As the current show continues, so will the challenge of maintaining a balance that supports communities coping with damages and dangers while providing reasonably safe access sites for lava viewing.