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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.381 2024-2026From: Allison Shiozaki Sent: Monday, August 18, 2025 9:00 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 o Subject: Strong Support of Resolution 234-25 v, oC-) C= c C) Aloha a Chair Village and members of the Policy Committee on Environmental and Natural o Resource Management, - `-, D� My name is Allison Shiozaki, and I live on Moku O Keawe in the Ola'a area..I am tied to the'5in&K9nd�->= protecting our young ones. co Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of Resolution 234-25, which urges the state to ensure the health and safety of Hawaii Island residents by requestingthat 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. In May 2025, the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) did not accept PTA's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), citing incomplete archaeology inventory, lack of endangered species data and analyses and an inadequate Cultural Impact Assessment, which is used to address Ka Pa'akai factors. Sustained bombing and training activities have damaged pristine lands, the Saddle Region aquifer system, and cultural sites for over 60 years. The resolution aligns with long-standing community concerns that military activity continues to pose real threats to public health, cultural integrity, and environmental stability. 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 Hawai'i 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. Coming up in the current conditions of the world are frightening for adults, but I ask you to consider the absolutely necessity of preserving a livable planet for our next generations when the military is the largest point source polluter in the world and how hosting the military and it's activities creates more risks for our lahui. 1 Co"' Reuo: Ref. Date Na'u me ka'ola'i'o, Allison Nemenyi Shiozaki