Geothermal action plan

Abstract

On June 12 and 13, 1991, a blowout occured at Puna Geothermal Venture's geothermal well KS-8 near Pahoa in the Puna District. The blowout caused concern for the health and safety of nearby residents. Further activity at the site was temporarily suspended. The State and County cooperated in the retention of third-party, mainland experts to investigate the drilling equipment and procedures (Element I) and the noise and air quality aspects of the blowout (Element III). An in-house investigation was conducted on the emergency response plan (Element II). These three investigations resulted in written conclusions and recommendations. The purpose of this Action Plan is to delineate the actions needed to be taken by government to respond to the investigators' recommendations. The plan includes specific tasks, due dates, responsible agencies, resources required and the source of those resources, and comments. Some of the actions must be completed before Puna Geothermal Venture is allowed to proceed with development. Some agencies, particularly State agencies, recommended additional actions which will be undertaken and reported by means other than this Task Force.