HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.337 2024-2026From: Kawika Pagan-Barbieto (2027)
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2025 11:02 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support Res. 234-25
Aloha Committee Members,
I strongly support this Resolution U.S. Military training at Pohakuloa. It has already caused serious harm -
burning nearly 20,000 acres, contaminating the land, and threatening endangered species. Beneath this area lies
a major aquifer that supplies fresh water to Hawaii Island, and the military's track record shows they are not
equipped to protect it. There is also serious concern about depleted uranium left in the soil, which can become
airborne during exercises and has known health risks. Pohakuloa is a wahi pana- a sacred place with deep
cultural and ecological significance. Continued military use is incompatible with its conservation status and the
values of aloha `aina. Living all over the island of Oahu and even having family on Hawai `i Island it raises my
concerns for the safety of them and the concern of the land that the military is on. My family are a bunch of
hunters living off of what they can catch and with that being such a huge area, it causes concern for what
happens to other living things like animals and plants. I first learned about the bombing through my school,
Halau Ku Mana, which is rooted in cultural practices and values that strive for excellence. Through this, I came
to realize how many things are wrong with the military being based there. Please support this resolution to
protect the land, water, and people of Hawaii.
Mahalo,
C-)
Kawika Pagan-Barbieto
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Honolulu, HI 96744
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Comm.
Ref. To:
TX
Ref. Date UG 1 9 2025