Volcano observatory eyes new Hilo headquarters

Plans have been unveiled for a new Hawaiian Volcano Observatory headquarters and research building in Hilo that will replace its Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park facility, which was irreparably damaged by the powerful 2018 Kilauea eruption.

Comments on a draft environmental assessment describing the proposal will be accepted by March 28.

The U.S. Geological Survey is proposing a $60 million-­plus, three-story building on state-owned land near Komohana Street and Nowelo Road in Hilo.

The 60,000-square-foot building would accommodate researchers from both HVO and the Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center, another USGS outfit that is currently located in “substandard” facilities in the national park, according to the draft EA.

The new building — across from the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus and next to the U.S. Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry and U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center — would provide offices and “a consolidated science hub” for both HVO and PIERC featuring conference rooms, laboratories, warehouse and storage, plus an operations/monitoring center.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has a long history of being located within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. From 1912 to 1947, it was situated near the present-day Volcano House Hotel, and in 1948 it moved into what is now the closed Thomas A. Jaggar Museum at the Kilauea summit. In 1986, the HVO moved next door to the museum.

However, in May of 2018, the eruption and series of partial summit collapses of Kilauea Volcano caused significant damage to the building and forced its evacuation and that of surrounding buildings.

The three-month eruption pushed 1 billion cubic yards of molten rock across the Lower Puna landscape, destroying hundreds of homes and causing an estimated $800 million in damage. The most destructive Big Island eruption in the past two centuries also caused most of the national park to close to the public for 134 days.

Since that time, some 30 HVO staff members have been using temporary offices at the Hilo Iron Works building. But there is not enough space for personnel or equipment to allow HVO to meet its mission over the long term, according to the draft EA.

In a separate action, a small station for HVO and PIERC field staff is being planned at the summit area next to the Kilauea Military Camp — a little over a mile away on Crater Rim Drive. The price tag is $21 million.

Ken Hon, HVO scientist in charge, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last year that the field station will be considerably smaller than its summit predecessor, allowing enough room to conduct on-site science and volcano monitoring near the caldera.

“We want it to be a very functional forward base, with the ability to deploy new technology,” Hon said.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service is proposing to spend $28 million to restore the summit region in a plan that would repair the overlook area at Uekahuna adjacent to the former Jaggar Museum, realign Crater Rim Drive and construct a visitor center to replace the Jaggar, among other things.

The existing Kilauea Visitors Center would continue to serve as park headquarters but with space for indoor park programs, special events and educational programming.

Comments on the HVO building can be sent to Jordan Sizemore, jsizemore@usgs.gov, USGS Environmental Management Branch, P.O. Box 25046, MS205, Lakewood, CO 80225, and to consultant HHF Planners, 733 Bishop St., Suite 2590, Honolulu, HI 96813 or USGS-Hilo-HVO-PIERC@hhf.com.