HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.176 2024-2026From: Kencho Gurung
Sent:
Monday, August 18, 2025 9:19 AM
c,
To:
Council Testimony
�
cC-)
Subject:
Support Res. 234-25
C=
co
o <
�C—
Aloha Committee Members,
>�
On behalf of Hawai'i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA),
I am testifying to express our strong suppo[`- 6
this resolution.
�+
Military training activities of this scale are simply not compatible with public health, conservation, cultural
integrity, or aloha %ina. Enough is enough.
For example, the Army's actions have already resulted in the burning of nearly 20,000 acres, including
designated critical habitat for native flora and fauna. This is unacceptable. Additionally, the ongoing use of live -
fire and bombing in the impact area raise serious concerns about environmental contamination, safety, and
long-term degradation of both the land and water.
Directly beneath Pohakuloa at an elevation of 4,500 feet, is a massive aquifer, potentially the largest in the pae
%ina and a critical freshwater resource for the island.
Given the military's horrendous track record of cleaning up military debris and caring for the site, it is
unrealistic to expect the military to comply with the requirements of a conservation district.
Additionally, there are serious concerns over depleted uranium contamination.
During the 1960s, DU, a radioactive heavy metal, was used in munitions fired at PTA — meaning that residue
from those weapons remain in the soil of the impact zone. The presence of depleted uranium in the soil at
Pohakuloa is consistently churned up and aerosolized during live fire exercises and blown across the island.
Exposure to depleted uranium is linked to cancer and many other negative health impacts.
Pohakuloa is not just a piece of land —it is a wahi pana, a sacred and storied place, home to irreplaceable
Native Hawaiian cultural sites and some of Hawai i s most endangered species. The Army has not
demonstrated the capacity nor will to serve as a proper steward of this land.
Pohakuloa is home to several endangered native species and 15 bird species protected under the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.There are two dozen endemic plant species at Pohakuloa that are considered endangered,
threatened or "species of concern."
Additionally, the proposed military uses of this site are simply incompatible with the conservation designation
the area holds. Ongoing live -fire and bombing in the area threaten the native flora, fauna and cultural resources
of the area, including some of Hawaii's most endangered species. Impacts the aquifer located below the area
remain unaddressed.
We urge the members of the council to respect the land, the culture, and the people of Hawaii by supporting
this resolution for Pohakuloa. It's time to return these lands and begin a real process of healing and
restoration.
Kencho Gurung (she/her) ^
Communications Organizer I HAPA Comm. ��y
kencho a)haoahi. org
Ref. To:
1 Ref. Date G 2