The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has introduced an Environmental Monitoring Data Portal to consolidate and share results from environmental monitoring in areas impacted by the August 2023 Lahaina and Kula wildfires. This platform offers public access to data collected by DOH alongside federal, state, and community partners. The portal includes narrative and graphical information to aid in data interpretation and usage, with downloadable reports available.
Since August 2023, DOH and its partners have been collecting and analyzing samples of air, ash, soil, sediments, beach sand, and nearshore water to detect hazardous substances potentially harmful to health or the environment. Ongoing monitoring aims to evaluate the effectiveness of clean-up activities and environmental protection measures such as dust control. The new portal compiles this information for public communication about safe areas, ongoing protective measures by recovery agencies, and necessary precautions during clean-up.
“This public platform provides the community with direct access to environmental data from multiple sources for the Lahaina and Kula wildfires,” said Deputy Director for Environmental Health Kathleen Ho. “We appreciate the continued collaboration and partnership of community partners and other federal, state, and local agencies. As monitoring activities continue, we will use this portal to provide the public with easy access to information from DOH and its partners.”
DOH plans regular updates for the portal as new data are received. Air monitoring data will be refreshed approximately every two to four weeks; coastal water quality, sediment data, and monitoring at the West Maui Temporary Debris Storage Site will be updated quarterly. Narrative discussions and graphical representations of data over time compared to regulatory levels will be reviewed monthly if needed.
This initiative is part of a comprehensive effort involving federal, state, and community partners focused on wildfire recovery through environmental monitoring. DOH commits to continuous environmental quality assessment in Lahaina with timely updates on new findings. Residents will receive specific announcements if unusual environmental or health concerns arise.
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