Pearl Harbor Restoration Advisory Board Meeting, July 12, 2011

The next Pearl Harbor Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at the Holomua Elementary School Cafeteria, 911561 Keaunui Drive, ʻEwa Beach.

On the agenda:

  • Draft Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for Substation P, Kalaeloa
  • Draft Final Remedial Investigation for West Loch 4th Street Coral Pit Disposal Area
  • Underwater Navy Defensive Sea Area Site Investigation Status (Underwater unexploded ordnance)

For more information contact Rachel Gilhooly, Ph. 808.356.5343, Rachel.Gilhooly@aecom.com

 

Will military areas be exempt from monk seal critical habitat?

The critically endangered`Ilioholoikauaua, the Hawaiian monk seal, continues to dwindle in numbers.  Environmental groups have pushed the National Ocean0graphic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expand the critical habitat designation for the Hawaiian monk seal to include the main Hawaiian islands.  NOAA recently issued its proposed revised critical habitat which thankfully includes most of the main Hawaiian islands.  Although a few special interests such as the fishing lobby, have problems with this new rule, most environmental and progressive groups agree that the critical habitat should be expanded.

However, the plan is deeply flawed, but no one is talking about it.   Vast areas are excluded from the proposed critical habitat because of exemptions granted to the military.  See the maps below.  Military activities are among the most hazardous to marine mammals. And yet, the military may get broad exemptions.   See also excerpts from the proposed rule below.

Similar environmental exemptions were also given to the military in the designation of the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument.  It become of a model of marine conservation being used to shield military activities.  Soon after the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument was created, the U.S. created a similar marine monument encompassing the Mariana Islands.  The UK followed suit and imposed a marine monument over the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which effectively barred the native Chagossian people from returning to their home island of Diego Garcia, from which the islanders were forcibly removed to make way for a U.S. military base.

It seems that the new proposed critical habitat protects navy SEALS over endangered monk seals.   NOAA is accepting comments on the proposed rule until August 31, 2011.   Testify that the military areas should not be excluded from the proposed critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal.

Military Areas Ineligible for Designation (4(a)(3) Determinations)

The Sikes Act of 1997 (Sikes Act, 16 U.S.C. 670a) requires military installations with ‘‘land and water suitable for the conservation and management of natural resources’’ to complete an integrated natural resource management plan (INRMP). The plans are meant to integrate implementation of the military mission of the installation with the stewardship of the natural resources found on site. Each INRMP includes: An assessment of the ecological needs on the installation, including the need to provide for the conservation of listed species; a statement of goals and priorities; a detailed description of management actions to be implemented to provide for these ecological needs; and a monitoring and adaptive management plan. Each INRMP must to the extent appropriate and applicable, provide for: Fish and wildlife management; fish and wildlife habitat enhancement or modification; wetland protection, enhancement, and restoration where necessary to support fish and wildlife or plants; and enforcement of applicable natural resource laws. INRMPs are prepared in cooperation with the USFWS and the appropriate state fish and wildlife agency, and are subject to review no less than every 5 years.

Section 4(a)(3)(B)(i) of the ESA states: ‘‘The Secretary shall not designate as critical habitat any lands or other geographical areas owned or controlled by the Department of Defense, or designated for its use, that are subject to an integrated natural resources management plan prepared under section 101 of the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670a), if the Secretary determines inwriting that such plan provides a benefit to the species for which critical habitat is proposed for designation.’’

We contacted the Department of Defense (DOD) and requested information on all INRMPs for DOD facilities that overlap with the specific areas considered for designation as critical habitat and that might provide a benefit for Hawaiian monk seals. Both the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and the Navy provided us with INRMPs for review under 4(a)(3)(B)(i) of the ESA. The USMC provided an INRMP covering the years 2006–2011 for the Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH). Areas subject to the MCBH INRMP that overlap with the areas under consideration for critical habitat include: Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay (MCBH–KB), and the 500-yard buffer zone in marine waters surrounding the Mokapu Peninsula, Oahu; Marine Corps Training Area Bellows (MCTAB) Waimanalo, Oahu; and Puuloa Training Facility, on the Ewa coastal plain, Oahu.

The Navy identified two INRMPs as relevant to this review process: The Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) INRMP and the Naval Station Pearl Harbor INRMP, now referred to as the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam INRMP. The Navy has been working with cooperating partners, in accordance with the SIKES Act (Sikes Act, 16 U.S.C. 670a), to revise both documents and multiple drafts of the documents and relevant materials were presented to NMFS for review. Areas subject to the PMRF INRMP that overlap with the areas under consideration for critical habitat include: PMRF Main Base at Barking Sands, Kauai; and Kaula Island. Although the 2001 Naval Station Pearl Harbor INRMP only covers those areas in the Pearl Harbor Complex that are not included in the areas under consideration, the Navy has identified that the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam INRMP will include the following areas that overlap with the proposed designation: The Navy Defensive Sea Area (NDSA), and the marine reserved zone outside Pearl Harbor and Navy retained lands at Kalaeloa (Nimitz Beach and White Plains Beach), Oahu.

[…]

Exclusions Based on Impacts to National Security
The national security benefits of exclusion are the national security impacts that would be avoided by excluding particular areas from the designation. We contacted representatives of DOD and the Department of Homeland Security to request information on potential national security impacts that may result from the designation of particular areas as critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal. In response to the request, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Coast Guard made no requests for exclusion from the critical habitat areas under consideration. Both the U.S. Navy and the USMC identified sites that overlap with the areas under consideration. Both requested that we exclude all identified sites of overlap that met the definition of critical habitat (i.e., areas that contain essential features that may require special management or protection) from the Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat designation. Sites identified by the USMC subject to the MCBH INRMP (MCBH–KB and the 500-yard (457.2 m) buffer zone in marine waters surrounding the Mokapu Peninsula, Oahu; MCTAB Waimanalo, Oahu; and Puuloa Training Facility,  the Ewa coastal plain, Oahu) are not eligible for critical habitat in accordance with 4(a)(3) of the ESA (See Military Areas Ineligible for Designation (4(a)(3)
determinations) above).

Consultation and discussion with the Navy and USMC resulted in the identification of 13 areas (See Table 2) that may warrant exclusion based on national security impacts. As in the analysis of economic impacts, we weighed the benefits of exclusion (i.e., the impacts to national security that would be avoided) against the benefits of designation. The Navy and USMC provided information regarding the activities that take place in each area, and they assessed the potential for a critical habitat designation to adversely affect their ability to conduct operations, tests, training, and other essential military activities. The possible impacts to national security summarized by both groups included restraints and constraints on military operations, training, research and development, and preparedness vital for combat operations for around the world.

TABLE 2:

 

 

 

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110608_monkseal_criticalhabitat.html

NOAA proposes critical habitat revision for the Hawaiian monk seal, seeks public comment

June 8, 2011

Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Hawaiian monk seal hauled out on a beach in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to rest.

Download here. (Credit: NOAA.)

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has proposed 16 areas as critical habitat for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and is inviting public comment. The proposed revision includes expanding the 1988 critical habitat designation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and adding new areas throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.

In July 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service received a petition from non-governmental organizations to revise the Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat designation under the ESA. In June 2009, NOAA Fisheries Service released a 12-month finding, which is one step in the review process, announcing that the petition presented substantial scientific information indicating that a revision to the current critical habitat designation was warranted and announced its intention to move forward with a proposed rule.

Following this announcement, NOAA Fisheries Service convened a Critical Habitat Review Team of experts in the field of Hawaiian monk seal biology and management to evaluate critical habitat for the species.

“Monk seals are an important species for Hawaii, and such a valuable part of our ecosystem,” said Michael Tosatto, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands regional administrator. “This species faces a number of threats, and it’s imperative we ensure they have safe areas where they can rest and take care of their young.”

The team identified essential features for Hawaiian monk seal habitat, such as their need for reproduction, rearing of offspring, foraging, resting and habitat protected from disturbance. The team then identified areas throughout the Hawaii that met the criteria. NOAA Fisheries Service also considered the economic, national security and other relevant effects to the proposed areas.

Hawaiian Monk Seal.

A group of seals resting on a beach in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Download here. (Credit: NOAA.)

Under the ESA, critical habitat is an area which may require special management or protections essential for the conservation of a listed species. Federal agencies must take precautions to insure that activities they fund, authorize or carry out do not destroy or adversely modify critical habitats.

Biologists estimate that only 1,160 Hawaiian monk seals exist, and are in danger of extinction because of their declining population in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Monk seals are wide ranging pinnipeds that require both marine and land habitats for reproduction, rearing, foraging and resting. However, unlike other well recognized pinnipeds that congregate in large numbers at rookeries, monk seals are considered a solitary species. They generally prefer to haul out in remote areas for reproduction and rest. The proposed revision to Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat allows NOAA Fisheries Service to incorporate new scientific information available regarding Hawaiian monk seals’ habitat use, and will allow for the conservation of those areas essential for Hawaiian monk seal survival and recovery.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service is accepting comments on the proposed revision through August 31, 2011. Dates, times and venues for public hearings will be available on our website at: http:www.fpir.noaa.gov. NOAA’s Fisheries Service will review comments and issue a final rule, expected by June 2, 2012.

To submit comments on the proposed critical habitat revision for the Hawaiian monk seal, use any of the following methods:

  • Mail or hand deliver written comments to:

Regulatory Branch Chief
Protected Resources Division
NMFS Pacific Islands Region
1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110
Honolulu, HI 96814
Attn: Proposed Critical Habitat Revision for the Hawaiian monk seal

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Find us on Facebook.

Honolulu Solidarity Demonstration Against Militarism and Overseas U.S. Bases

RALLY AGAINST MILITARISM & OVERSEAS U.S. BASES

THURSDAY,

JUNE 30 4-6pm,

FEDERAL BUILDING  (Ala Moana Blvd & Punchbowl)

Aloha, this Irei-no-Hi, the Okinawan Memorial Day for ALL War Dead (June 23).  This day commemorates the end of war between Imperial powers Japan & USA in Okinawa.  Unfortunately, 66 years after the fact, Okinawa remains heavily occupied by US forces to project its wars worldwide; indeed, the war has never ended for Okinawa.

In anticipation of national governmental decisions on their imposition of yet more military facilities in Okinawa, community leaders in Okinawa are putting out an international call to rally for demilitarization, self-determination & peace in Okinawa.  Given neither the Japanese or US governments are heeding the will of the people, it is critical to voice opposition (see appeal that follows).

This comes at a critical time, when given the economic and political situation, US congressional committees are questioning the costs of the proposal to relocate thousands of Marines to Guam.  This may be a rare time when some traditionally war hawks may be reviewing the spreading of bases in Okinawa to Guam (see links below).  Of course, it is important to  remember US war/military funding continues to dwarf most other nations’ defense spending combined, and that economic cost-cutting continues to disproportionately fall on the working and dwindling middle classes, let alone remember that ultimately the people in general, whether taxpayers in USA or Japan, whether poverty draft soldiers or civilian ‘collateral damage’ bear the brunt of these costs.

However, this is hardly just about Okinawa!  Popular opposition is growing in Guam that stands to be completely overwhelmed by the proposed relocation.  Korea also faces militarist impositions in Jeju Island.  Of course, Hawai`i remains heavily occupied by armed forces with almost 25% of O`ahu reserved for military agendas.  Of 192 nations in the world, US forces are in approximately 130, with 50 nations “hosting” permanent US bases.  We will hold our rally on June 30 in solidarity with Okinawa, as we are almost a day behind them, making the timing more proximate to the rallies in Okinawa and Japan on July 1st.

While this open rally is in response to a call from Okinawa, its peaceful protest will not be limited to militarism in Okinawa, but in solidarity with other struggles including Guam, Korea and here in Hawai`i.  Feel free to bring friends, signs, instruments, etc. showing solidarity for peace & justice, and/or against global military empire!  You may consider carpooling or bus as parking is limited in area (although you may consider a nominal purchase to park at restaurant row across the street).  If people aren’t in front of the Federal Building, then we will be on Ala Moana Blvd raising consciousness.  For those unable to attend or outside of O`ahu Island, please consider organizing rally or sending messages of solidarity- info follows.

Nuchi du Takara…Life is a Treasure- let’s defend it.

Solidarity/Yuimaaru/Lokahi,

Pete Shimazaki Doktor & Jamie Oshiro
HOA (Hawai`i Okinawa Alliance)

808-782-0023/dok@riseup.net

###

Open Call for the Simultaneous Protest: No Helipad in Takae, No Base in Henoko, Okinawa!

From “No More Trampling on Okinawa! Urgent Action Committee.”

We have acted to remove all military bases in Okinawa. Especially from the later part of December 2010 to march 2011, we have also acted to prevent US and Japanese government from constructing helipads in Takae that started in December 2010 by, for example, Demonstration, Petition to Ministry of Defense or USA embassy.

For now, construction in Takae is stopped because there is a promise that they must not construct in the breeding season of Sapheopipo noguchii (from March to June).  But it never means that they already gave up their plan. In Jury, it’s highly possible that they will forcibly start the construction again.  And DPJ, the Japanese government party, decided constructing military base in Henoko where relocation of Hutenma Base is allocated. This plan is wholly same as the plan of LDP, the previous Japanese government party, although DPJ had promised that the base in Hutenma would be moved out of Japan, at least out of Okinawa.

So it’s also possible that Japanese government will pressure Okinawa to admit their latest (but in fact former) plan in Jury, preparing for the “2 plus 2” meeting.  In order to push back against the pressure of Japanese government and US military, would you make a big simultaneous protest with us, in your own places? It will surely effective to raise our objection in public against military bases, not only at Japan but also all over the world.

We plan to make a demonstration and front of Ministry of Defense in Tokyo and to hand in requests to it at July 1, when the construction in Takae may resume. (Further details will be announced later.)    This is an open call to anti-war activists, non-activist citizens, mass or grassroots media, politicians or government officials, to anyone whom you can contact.

Call for opposition to construction of U.S. base or helipads in Okinawa. Make a protest against relative authorities of Japan and U.S. if you can. Or send us your anti-base message, and we will hand it to the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo when we petition.   If you’d like to join this simultaneous protest, please email us.  no.base.okinawa@gmail.com  Let’s make this action together.

No More Trampling on Okinawa! Urgent Action Committee

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hansentoteikounofesta09

http://twitter.com/domannakademo

no.base.okinawa@gmail.com

Military studies Waikane Valley bomb cleanup

The Honolulu Star Advertiser published an article about the progress of unexploded ordnance (UXO) cleanup in Waikane valley in Ko’olaupoko district of O’ahu.

Waikane is a lush valley that is very significant in Hawaiian legend and history.  The name refers to the waters of the great deity Kane. Sites in the valley are referred to in ancient chants about creation. As this is a land of flowing streams, there are extensive lo’i kalo (taro fields).

Waikane was granted to the Kamaka family during the Mahele. But land speculators like Lincoln McCandless acquired vast amounts of land in Waikane and other areas like Makua, allegedly through illegal or unethical means.

During World War II, the military leased Waikane lands for training and promised to return the land in its original condition.  When the lands were returned to the Kamaka family, Raymond Kamaka began farming and working with youth.   But the bombs kept turning up.  Instead of cleaning up as promised, the Marines condemned the land over the objections of the family.

In 2003, the Marines announced that they planned to conduct jungle warfare training in Waikane and held community meetings.  The community turned out in large numbers to protest the plan and to demand that the military clean up the land and return it to the Kamaka family. The Marine corps abandoned its training plans for Waikane.  Several years later, it began the administrative process for closing and cleaning up the range.

The surrounding lands were also affected by training, but since they are currently in private hands, a different program called the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program under the Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility to conduct the ordnance removal.

The very fact that the munitions are being studied and removed is a win for the community.  What was once “too dangerous” and “too costly” is now within reach.  But the level of cleanup depends on the cost and feasibility analysis as well as the final land use.   This is where continued pressure is needed to ensure that the land is returned to Mr. Kamaka or to an entity that he designates to carry on the kuleana (responsibility) he solemnly swore to fulfill to his ancestors.

The Hawai’i congressional delegation can ensure that the cleanup is conducted to the highest level possible by ensuring that there is adequate funding to achieve the highest level of cleanup.

There are currently two cleanup operations underway in Waikane.  Under the Army Corps of Engineers FUDS program, a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) has been established to oversee its portion of the cleanup. Under the Marine Corps, a separate Restoration Advisory Board has been established.  These RABs include military, government regulators and community members and provide input to the military on the cleanup process.   The meetings are open to the public.

The Army Corps of Engineers FUDS RAB will meet Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 7-9 pm in the Waiahole Elementary School Cafeteria.

Below are excerpts from the Honolulu Star Advertiser article. The time line at the end has an error: the Marine Corps did not fence the Kamaka parcel in 1992 after it condemned the land.  It installed a fence some time after 2003, only after the community blasted the Marines for being hypocritical, i.e. claiming that the land was so dangerous it had to be condemned but never enclosing it with a fence.

Military studies Waikane Valley bomb cleanup

A Windward Oahu area littered with old munitions is being looked at by both the Marines and the Army

By William Cole

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 19, 2011

WILLIAM COLE / WCOLE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Marine Corps officials and an ordnance removal technician view Waikane Valley in the vicinity of the ordnance impact area.
WILLIAM COLE / WCOLE@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Marine Corps said it is spending $1.37 million to investigate the 187-acre impact area in Waikane Valley where the majority of the munitions are located and to develop a feasibility study for cleanup options that is expected to be released in the fall. Here, a warning sign is posted at the edge of the Marine Corps’ impact area

More Photos

Up a rutted road in jungly Waikane Valley, past the old Ka Mauna ‘o ‘Oliveta Church, through a locked gate and beyond a security fence is the former Kamaka family farm, the now-defunct military training range that replaced it, and the long-held hope — going on decades now — that the land can be returned to the agricultural and cultural place it used to be.

Waikane Valley is one of dozens of former military training sites in Hawaii undergoing the slow, arduous and sometimes painful process that goes along with demilitarization.

Among those many sites, Waikane is considered by some to be a special place, and there’s been momentum in recent years to clean up the munitions that litter it.

The Marine Corps and Army Corps of Engineers are each conducting studies on removing ordnance from a total of 1,061 acres in Waikane Valley. Citizen advisory groups are asking Congress for millions in cleanup funds.

“Things seem to be moving in a good direction — at least things seem to be moving, which is a good direction,” said Windward resident and attorney David Henkin, who is on the two restoration advisory boards for the land.

Land in and around the former training area is valued as a cultural and natural resource. The city thought highly enough of the land in 1998 to spend $3.5 million for 500 acres to the southeast of the Marine Corps land that are intended to become the Waikane Valley Nature Park. A private landowner, Paul Zweng, bought 1,400 acres — part of which is in the former training area — for a proposed Ohulehule Forest Conservancy to preserve and restore the endemic flora and fauna in the valley, officials said.

[…]

Despite the potential risk, off-road vehicles tear up Waikane Stream, and pig hunters cut through the fence that surrounds the 187 acres still owned by the Marine Corps.

Between 1943 and 1953 the Army leased more than 2,000 acres in the Waiahole and Waikane valleys for jungle training; small arms, artillery and mortar fire; and aerial bombing, according to a recent Navy investigation.

In 1953, the Marine Corps took over, leasing 1,061 acres for live-fire training. The report said live fire “apparently” stopped in the early 1960s, and that the lease was terminated in 1976.

A Marine Corps clearance effort in 1976 removed 24,000 pounds of practice ordnance and fragments, and 42 unexploded munitions.

In 1984 the Marines came back and recovered 480 3.5-inch rockets from what is known as the Waikane Valley Impact Area. A 2009 site inspection turned up 66 shoulder-fired rockets, one 2.36-inch rocket and three rifle grenades.

The unexploded ordnance, or “UXO,” as it’s known, was so thick the Marines abandoned in 2003 a plan to conduct blank-fire jungle training in the valley, saying it was too dangerous.

Despite that, community members working with the military on continuing studies say there’s progress and hope that Congress will provide cleanup funding.

[…]

Two remediation efforts are taking place in Waikane Valley. The Marine Corps said it is spending $1.37 million to investigate the 187-acre impact area where the majority of the munitions are located and to develop a feasibility study for cleanup options that is expected to be released in the fall.

The Army Corps of Engineers, meanwhile, is working on 874 adjoining acres that contain fewer munitions as part of the FUDS program. In addition to a $1.34 million study, the Army Corps said it has a $1.94 million ordnance clearance effort under way with Environet Inc. focusing on two parcels totaling 44 acres.

Among the decisions the Marine Corps will have to make is whether to clean up the 187 acres it still owns and to what degree, as well as what to do with the land afterward.

While some community members have complained about the number of plans put forth and the length of time for the Marine Corps to address the issue, an email response from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to the Star-Advertiser said the latest “munitions response program,” which began in 2008, “is detailed and takes time to ensure potential risks to human health and the environment are thoroughly identified and appropriate cleanup action is selected.”

People have been injured and killed by mishandled munitions in Waikane Valley, though there have been no incidents recently, according to the Navy “remedial investigation” draft report issued in March.

In 1944, two people were killed and two others were injured when a 60 mm mortar discovered in the valley accidentally detonated, the report said.

Three children were injured in 1963 when a “souvenir” rifle grenade reportedly discovered in Waikane Valley exploded after it was thrown against a wall. There have been no other reports of injury attributed to munitions found in the valley, the report said.

Raymond Kamaka, 72, said his family owned and farmed the Marine Corps land as far back as 1850 through a deed from King Kamehameha III, and he still lays claim to it.

His great-great-great-grandmother, Racheal Lahela, who came from Waikane, was a half sister of Queen Liliuokalani, Kamaka said.

Kamaka recalled playing in the valley as a kid. “It was our playground. Up there we used to swim,” he said. He remembers three ancient heiau.

The government later said it needed the land for wartime training, leased it from the Hawaiian family, and said it would clean it up and return it afterward.

The lease was terminated in 1976, and the Marines conducted several cleanups. Kamaka, a one-time professional wrestler, returned to farm in the early 1980s. He grew taro and raised pigs and brought in schoolchildren for visits.

When munitions were found on the property’s higher reaches, the military condemned the land in 1989. Much of the family settled for $2.3 million in 1994 — but not Raymond Kamaka.

“Nobody settled with me,” said Kamaka, who claims to be the only rightful heir.

The ensuing years have been “hell,” Kamaka said. “I lost everything.” He went to jail for two years in disputes with the government over the land, he said.

He still expects to farm on the family land again one day.

“Am I gonna come back? Yes,” he said.

Kajihiro, who also is program director for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that supports Native Hawaiian rights, said “there is some political will to do some cleanup (on the Marine Corps land). To what level is a question of cost.”

“We’re saying it should be cleaned up to the highest level possible to allow the broadest number of uses,” Kajihiro said. He added that those uses “need to be mindful of, and consistent with, Uncle Raymond Kamaka and his family’s vision and uses of the land — which were agricultural and cultural uses.”

LOOKING BACK

Waikane Valley’s history as a military training range:

Early 1940s
U.S. Army leases more than 2,000 acres in Waiahole and Waikane valleys and uses the property for jungle training, artillery, mortar, small arms fire, maneuvers and as a bombing range for air-to-ground fire.

1944
Two people are killed and two are injured by a 60-millimeter mortar discovered in the valley.

1953
Marine Corps leases 1,061 acres. Training includes small-arms fire, 3.5-inch rockets and medium artillery.

Early 1960s
Marines stop use of live fire.

1963
Three children are injured when a “souvenir” rifle grenade is thrown against a wall and explodes.

1976
Marines conduct ordnance clearance sweeps.

1984
Marines conduct additional ordnance clearance sweeps and remove 480 3.5-inch rockets.

1989
U.S. government acquires title to the 187-acre ordnance impact area.

1992
A perimeter chain-link fence is installed around the impact area.

2002
Marines propose conducting blank-fire training on the site.

2003
Marines abandon the idea when a study finds too much danger from unexploded ordnance.

2010
Marines conduct a “remedial investigation” on the 187-acre Waikane Valley Impact Area.

2011
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating ordnance on 874 adjoining acres and removing munitions from 44 acres within that parcel.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Marine Corps

 

“Living Along the Fenceline” screenings and talks in East SF Bay Area

Women for Genuine Security and UC Berkeley, Center for the Study of Sexual Cultures present:

LIVING ALONG THE FENCELINE

MILITARY VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, DEMILITARIZATION, & FEMINIST CONCEPTS OF SECURITY

Speaker: Suzuyo Takazato

LOCATION:  370 DWINELLE HALL, UC BERKELEY

DATE & TIME: APRIL 26TH @ 12PM

Suzuyo Takazato is a greatly respected feminist activist in Okinawa (the southern-most prefecture in Japan). Formerly a social worker with victims of gender-based violence, she founded a domestic violence project, and the first rape crisis hotline in Okinawa— REICO. Ms Takazato is a founder of Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence and still co-chairs this organization. She is one of the founding members of the International Women’s Network against Militarism, which held its first international meeting in Okinawa in 1997. She is one of 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Her article, “Report from Okinawa: Long term military presence and violence against women” is published in Canadian Woman Studies 2000 (19) #4: 42-47.2005.

SPONSORS

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SEXUAL CULTURES & WOMEN FOR GENUINE SECURITY

GENUINESECURITY.ORG | CSSC.BERKELEY.EDU | CSSC@BERKELEY.EDU

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FILM SCREENING WITH DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS:

SUZUYO TAKAZATO, OKINAWAN WOMEN ACT AGAINST MILITARY VIOLENCE &

DEBORAH BERMAN SANTANA, DEPT. OF ETHNIC STUDIES MILLS COLLEGE

April 27 at 7PM

Danforth Lecture Hall, Mills College

5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613

Living Along the Fenceline tells the stories of 7 remarkable women who live alongside U.S. military bases. They are teachers, or- ganizers,& healers, moved by love & respect for the land, & hope for the next generation. From San Antonio (Texas) to Vieques (Puerto Rico), Hawai’i, Guam, Okinawa, South Korea, & the Philippines, this film inspires hope and action. Event Sponsored by Office of the Provost , Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair, Global Fund for Women, and Women for Genuine Security.

www.genuinesecurity.org

info@genuinesecurity.org

510-430-2277

14th Annual Makua Sunrise Celebration

The Makua Sunrise Celebration will be held on April 24, 2011 at 6:00 am inside Makua valley.

The first Makua sunrise service was held in 1997 on Easter morning on the beach at Makua.  The Marines had planned to hold an amphibious invasion exercise on Makua beach that morning.  The sunrise service included surfers and canoe paddlers in the water.  Hawai’i Ecumenical Coalition and Malama Makua organized it.  The Marines canceled their exercise.

The following year, the sunrise celebration was held in the center of Makua valley, inside the gates.  It has been held in the valley every year since.  2011 will be the 14th Makua Sunrise celebration.

The invitation from Malama Makua reads:

The main gates will open at 5:30 am, hot tea will be served and the gathering will start at 6:am. It is open to all. It is a sharing of hearts, minds, beliefs and hopes, a moment to remember those who have passed on, those who have served, a time to celebrate spring and the coming of new life and mana, and a moment to connect with our `aina, together.  Please bring your prayers, special readings, songs, dances, ho`okupu. We gather and we share. Real simple. Sometimes we share a lot of silence.  Bring something to sit in or on. Bring warm clothes and maybe an umbrella for we often are blessed with the ua. And bring some potluck to share as afterwards we will gather on Makua beach.
Need more info?
Call Vince @ 478-6492 and Fred @ 696-4677.
Please share this invitation with all your contacts.
ho`opomaika`i aku ia `oe me kou `ohana,
vkd

Protest in Waikiki against U.S. Wars

A call from World Canʻt Wait:

Already have plans for Saturday night? Question whether protesting makes a difference? Think again!

Listen to Daniel Ellsberg’s call to protest. Listen to his commentary on Bradley Manning on today’s edition of Democracy Now. Read about yesterday’s drone attack in Pakistan that killed 40 civilians! Note the bipartisan vote in the U.S. House overwhelmingly supporting the continuation of the war in Afghanistan beyond next year! Listen to Obama defending the torture of Bradley Manning! Ask yourself how you can fail to protest!

Protest in Waikiki on Saturday, 7-8:30pm at the corner of Kalakaua & Seaside.

The unjust occupation of Iraq, the war on the people of Afghanistan, the drone bombings of Pakistan and Yemen, the secret wars, the black sites or torture and rendition, Obama’s indefinite detention, the repression against Muslims and antiwar activists, — all of this is growing worse…and will continue to get worse UNLESS we stop it.

Think protesting is useless? Tell that to the people of Egypt and Tunisia. To the people who occupied the Capitol in Wisconsin. To millions of people around the world who feel the wrath of the greatest superpower in the world…and yearn to see opposition to these murderous wars in U.S. streets!

This Saturday, Ann Wright, Daniel Ellsberg, Debra Sweet, Chris Hedges, and many more prominent anti-war activists will speak at the rally/protest in Washington D.C. Today they are using the airwaves to call on all of us to join them. Be part of this action by joining us in Waikiki on Saturday evening from 7pm – 8:30pm.

Protest Details:

Converge on the corner of Seaside & Kalakaua as close to 7pm as possible. This will not be a march. We hope to first establish a strong, highly visible group of signholders on the corner of Seaside & Kalakaua. If there are enough people some will break off to “occupy” another corner. Drums, guitars, costumes welcome. The World Can’t Wait will provide signs, some noisemakers, and hand-held Bradley Manning masks but all signs in the spirit of the day are welcome.

Parking is difficult in Waikiki. Car-pools will leave Revolution Books at about 6:15 and 6:30pm. (There will be limited parking for your cars next to the store.) It’s easy to catch a bus from Ala Moana Shopping Center and parking there is free. For those who have difficulty standing for more than an hour, there are planters with benches near this corner and it should be possible for you to find a seat.

WE CANNOT BE SILENT!

STOP ALL WARS AND OCCUPATIONS!

CLOSE GUANTANAMO & STOP TORTURE!

FREE BRADLEY MANNING!

Protect Mauna Kea

Eyes of the He’e

side view of tmt complex

Courtesy TMT International Observatory

Mauna Kea, the sacred mountain of Wakea and Poliahu is again threatened by plans to construct a giant telescope there.  The so-called Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) would be the largest telescope in the world and a desecration to one of the most sacred temples in Hawai’i and across the Pacific.

Aerospace and astronomy programs have had a long and incestuous relationship with the military.   On Haleakala there is a prototype of the Air Force PanSTARRS telescope and the Maui optical tracking station for missile defense testing.  The larger full-size PanSTARRS is being proposed for Mauna Kea.  The TMT project is ostensibly a civilian venture, but it is part of the aerospace-military complex that has taken over the peaks of many of our mountains in Hawai’i, from Makaha ridge and Koke’e on Kaua’i, to Ka’ena, Ka’ala and Palehua on O’ahu to Haleakala on Maui and Mauna Kea on Hawai’i.  These are the giant eyes of the monstrous military he’e (octopus) in Hawai’i.

There will be a critical hearing of the Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday, 2/25 at 9:00 am at the Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl St. to decide if the University of Hawai’i will be granted a permit to build in conservation district. See the action alert from Kahea below.  You can submit testimony online from their website: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2699/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5861

If you can attend the hearing on Friday, please turn out to express your opposition to this desecration of a sacred mountain.  Holding the hearing on O’ahu is a way to exclude the Hawai’i island community that has been most organized against this project.

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No More Bulldozers on Mauna Kea

The construction permit for the massive Thirty Meter Telescope complex will be considered by the Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday, February 25, 2011.

The TMT Corporation and the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents are proposing to build a new massive, 18-story telescope, 21,000 square foot office building, road, and parking lot on undeveloped land on Mauna Kea’s summit, called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

Mauna Kea is unique in the world, a place of deep significance in the Hawaiian worldview, and home to rare Hawaiian plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. Mauna Kea was honored among the sacred places of the world in a National Geographic (January 2011) Special Edition titled, “The Earth’s Holiest Places: Sacred Journeys.”

 

The TMT needs a construction permit approved by the Hawai‘i Board of Land and Natural Resources (Land Board) before any bulldozers can be sent up the mountain.

We think there is a real chance this permit could be denied, but we also know there is a lot of pressure from developers to approve it. This  is the last major permit developers need to begin construction on this 18-story, 8-acre development.

Join hundreds of people from around the islands! Urge the Land Board Members to reject this permit application, and take true, strong steps to protect the future of Mauna Kea. Submit your testimony today!  Your voice matters, especially when it is in your own words — if can, please take a minute to write a few sentences to make your testimony unique and the more effective.  Thanks!

Background

What’s Going On?

The University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents and the TMT Corporation are proposing to build a new massive,18-story telescope, 21,000 square foot office building, road, and parking lot–called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)–on undeveloped conservation and “ceded” lands on Mauna Kea.

This telescope is the largest ever proposed for Mauna Kea, and, if built, would be the second largest in the world.

Mauna Kea is unique on earth, a place of deep significance in the Hawaiian worldview, and home to rare Hawaiian plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet. Mauna Kea was honored among the sacred places of the world in a National Geographic (January 2011) Special Edition titled, “The Earth’s Holiest Places: Sacred Journeys.”

Mauna Kea is wao akua, wahi pana and dwelling of Wakea. Mauna Kea is also “ceded” crown lands, and conservation lands protected in the Conservation District.

Wrong for the Mountain

It is clear that the law doesn’t allow for this level of industrial development on conservation lands, like Mauna Kea. Hawaii Administrative Rules (13-5-30(c)) outlines criteria that must be met before construction can be allowed on conservation lands in Hawaii.

The most telling for us are the middle three criteria, which state:

“4. The proposed land use will not cause substantial adverse impact to existing natural resources within the surrounding area, community, or region;

5. The proposed land use, including buildings, structures and facilities, shall be compatible with the locality and surrounding areas, appropriate to the physical conditions and capabilities of the specific parcel or parcels; [and]

6. The existing physical and environmental aspects of the land, such as natural beauty and open space characteristics, will be preserved or improved upon, whichever is applicable;”

The TMT can’t satisfy these criteria.  This development (18 stories, 8 acre construction footprint) would multiply industrial land use on Mauna Kea, forever altering the natural beauty and sacred vista of the northern plateau.

Construction will impact fragile habitats of native plants and animals found only on Mauna Kea, with no guarantee of restoration when the lease term ends, in a mere 21 years.

How big is it?

– 184 ft. tall (18 stories), plus 20 ft. below ground
– Construction footprint: over 8 acres disturbed
– Completed structure footprint: over 5 acres
– Average American football field is 1.32 acres
– Telescope: 34,000 sq. ft.
– Support and office building: 21,000 sq. ft.
– Will excavate 64,000 cubic yards of summit area
– Will add 3,400 ft of new road, using excavated dirt to level it

What impact will it have?

– Construction proposed for the northern plateau, some of the last undeveloped area on the summit
– Structure will interrupt viewplane to Haleakala
– Will be visible from 14% of the island, including Waimea Park, Puu Kapu & Waawaa, Honokaa, & Puukohala
– Current telescopes are visible from 43% of the island
– Telescope operations will create 74 dbA of noise
– Will produce 120-250 cubic feet of solid waste a week
– Will use 5,000 gallon underground tank to store waste, including hazardous chemicals

The Final EIS for the project admits that telescope construction has had a substantial adverse impact on the natural and cultural resources of the conservation district on the summit.  Here is a link to the developers’ description of the TMT: www.tmt.org.

Of course, the University Board of Regents sees the proposal as a done deal.  The developers of this project have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in a massive PR campaign, assuring us that TMT will have little impact on the summit and that past problems with resource management have been fixed.  But we know that this is not so.

Forty Years of Mismanagement

Forty years ago, the people of Hawaii agreed to share our highest and most sacred summit with a small community of UH astronomers–on the promise of protection and stewardship for fragile alpine habitats, endemic native species, and sacred cultural landscapes. Sadly, the promise to malama (care for) our sacred summit remains unfulfilled.

Today, the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, several foreign governments, the U.S. federal government and military, and various development corporations have built or proposed to expand the footprint of industrial land use in the Mauna Kea conservation district.

The footprint of roads, buildings, parking, and ever-larger telescope complexes has grown and prospered, while natural and cultural resources have been irreplaceably lost, desecrated and destroyed. Today, even more development is proposed.

Mauna Kea is:

– Wao Akua, dwelling of Wakea

– Home of Poliahu and her sisters

– Used by cultural practitioners today

– Conservation district lands

– Above the main aquifer for the island

– “Ceded” crown lands

– Home to endemic native plants and animals,many found nowhere else on the planet

“For it is here that the very life breath can be seized in a moment never to return. It is only here that the life-giving waters originate. Only here do the heavens open so that man can be received, blessed, freed and transformed in the ways of Heaven.”

– from “Mauna Kea — The Temple”, Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Heiau Helu Elua, and Mauna Kea `Anainahou

Better Solutions Proposed, A Better Future Possible

We are asking for simple, common sense solutions for Mauna Kea, including: independent management (where developers do not approve their own projects), appropriate limits on development footprint based on study of summit carrying capacity, and appropriate compensation to the people of Hawai`i for past development.

Learn more

View, download and share the fact sheet on the Thirty Meter Telescope at http://bit.ly/TMTfactsheet or view and share it on Scribd.

See the Action Alert on KAHEA’s Blog

Learn more about Mauna Kea and efforts to protect conservation lands on Hawai`i’s sacred summits from industrial development and military land use.

Pågat Under Fire: A Citizen Suit Against the U.S. Department of Defense to Save an Ancient Chamorro Village

Environmental Law Program Colloquium Series

William S. Richardson School of Law

Please join us on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in the

Moot Court Room during the Lunch Break (12:45 pm – 1:45 pm)

Matthew Adams, Sr. Managing Associate, SNR Denton

and Carl Christensen, Visiting Professor at Law

Pågat Under Fire:

A Citizen Suit Against the U.S. Department of Defense to Save an Ancient Chamorro Village

On November 17, 2010, the Guam Preservation Trust, We Are Guåhan, and the National Historic Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Hawai‘i challenging the selection of Pågat, an ancient Chamorro village, as the site of a proposed firing range complex. The decision is part of the Guam and C.N.M.I. Military Relocation Final Environmental Impact Statement, which was prepared by the U.S. Department of Defense and released on July 28, 2010. The relocation, also known as the “Buildup,” involves the transfer of 8,000 U.S. Marines and their dependents from a U.S. base in Okinawa to Guam. Matthew Adams is a Senior Managing Associate with SNR Denton, the firm representing Plaintiffs through its pro bono work, and has experience in advising and litigating various environmental issues. Professor Carl Christensen is local counsel for Plaintiffs and teaches Historic Preservation.

Please join us or if you are unable please tune into our Livestream Channel (http://www.livestream.com/uhrichardsonelp)!

David M. Forman

Assistant Faculty Specialist

Environmental, Health Law Policy & Ka Huli Ao Programs

P (808) 956-5298 | F (808) 956-5569 | E dmforman@hawaii.edu

Colonel Ann Wright to speak about recent peace delegations to Afghanistan and Gaza

Download flyer here

Witness: Afghanistan and Gaza

Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright

Ann Wright will report back on her recent trip to Afghanistan and the 2nd Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

Just back from Kabul to Honolulu on December 31st, 2010, Ann will describe the conditions in Afghanistan and the exciting peace activism.  Ann worked with Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers who organized ‘Dear Afghanistan’ a world-wide call-in conversation with Afghan youth. Veterans For Peace President Mike Ferner wrote an article on Common Dreams:

The effort consisted of an entire day of Skyped-in phone calls, emails, Facebook and Twitter posts, with the goals of providing an opportunity for world citizens to learn about Afghanistan first-hand from experts – people trying to live their lives in a war zone; provide moral support for the members of Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers (AYPV); and begin linking conversations among a global, below-the-radar network of veteran peace activists, determined that the war in this country can and must be ended absent military force.

Ann will also speak about the second Gaza Freedom Flotilla.  Last year, Ann was aboard one of the ships in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that was attacked by Israeli commandos, killing nine people.

January 10, 2011

Honolulu Friends Meeting House,
2426 O‘ahu Avenue

6:30 pm

FREE, Sponsored by AFSC Hawai‘i Peace & Justice
More info: 808-988-6266 or kkajihiro@afsc.org