HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.401 2024-2026From: Mary Tam
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2025 9:08 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support Res. 234-25
Aloha Committee Members,
I am writing to express my support for Resolution 234-25.
U.S. Military training at Pohakuloa 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 Hawai'i 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.
As reaffirmed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court in Kahaulelio v. DLNR (2019), the State has a proactive
duty to preserve and maintain trust lands. The Court found that the State breached its obligations by
failing to reasonably monitor, enforce, and ensure proper care of the lands at Pohakuloa. 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.
Please support this resolution to protect the land, water, and people of Hawaii.
No
CD
occ
Mahalo,
Mary Tam
—+?
Nu'uanu, O'ahu
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Comm. o v T I
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Ref. Date 2025