HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.115 2024-2026From: Isabelle Corpuz
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2025 10:27 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Kimball, Heather; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Onishi, Dennis; Kierkiewicz, Ashley, Kanealii-
Kleinfelder, Matt; Hustace, James; Galimba, Michelle M.; Villegas, Rebecca; Inaba,
Holeka
Subject: Testimony in Strong Support of Resolution 234-25
Aloha Chair Villegas and members of the Policy Committee on Environmental and Natural Resource
Management,
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of Resolution 234-25, which urges the state to ensure
the health and safety of Hawai'i Island residents by requesting that the military cease all bombing and
desecration activities at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), reject land swaps and lease renewals without strict
stipulations, and conduct a full Ka Pa'akai Analysis of the area.
The U.S. military has a documented pattern of environmental harm that directly impacts the well-being of
Hawail's people. While I do not live on Hawai'i Island, I live on O'ahu, where contamination from Schofield
Barracks has leached harmful metals and solvents into aquifers that supply water to our communities. Fuel
leaks into Red Hill water supply have affected the health.of those that live there. These examples demonstrate
how unchecked human activity can irreversibly damage natural resources. We must protect what we cannot
replace.
This resolution is not about questioning the Army's contributions in regard to disaster response, emergency
services or providing a training venue for the county's first responders. Rather, it is about establishing limits,
demanding accountability, and ensuring oversight and respect by urging the cessation of unwarranted bombing
and live -fire training and the cleanup of PTA as required by their lease.
Approving Resolution 234-25 sends a powerful message that Hawaii County stands with its people —
families, communities, cultural practitioners, and environmental stewards who have long raised concerns about
PTA's short- and long-term impacts. It signals that Hawaii County will no longer accept unilateral military
decisions that compromise our land, culture, and health without meaningful engagement, cleanup
commitments, and legal compliance with public trust obligations.
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Mahalo for your time,
Isabelle Corpuz
Comm,
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Ref. To:
Ref. Date AUG 9 2025