Donald Thomas, director of The Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at UH-Hilo, said part of the rationale behind the request is to avoid costly environmental assessments.
Thomas said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources informed project researchers that some of the original nine parcels required the study. He said a decision was made to abandon certain sites and add others that would not require environmental assessments.
“We were provided a fixed amount of money to do the surveys,” Thomas said. “And we were not at all in a position to do an environmental assessment.”
The request would increase the number of locations permitted for non-invasive geophysical study along the Hualalai Rift Zone, just north of Kailua-Kona, from nine to 19.
The state Land Board is scheduled to consider the matter during its meeting Friday.
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