HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.563 2024-2026Executive Board
Lisa Lehua Kaulukukui
President
Kelli Bond
Vice President
Clarence Kalimahana
Young
Secretary
James "Kimo" Sanborn
Interim Treasurer
Directors
Erin Henderson-
Lacerdo
James Kaulukukui, Jr.
Michelle Keli'ipio-Lee
Kupuna Advisors
Lilince Keli'iplo Young
M. Kau'i Keli'iplo
Michael Warsh
Anthony Keli'iplo
Sue Wilcox Keli'ipio
I _<-
Aloha Chair Inaba, Vice Chair Onishi and Councilmembers, NJ o-<
My name is Lehua Kaulukukui, and I am testifying in strong support of:this 'I�=
resolution urging the State of HawaiTto protect the health and safety of Hale ai`t
Island residents by ceasing all live -fire exercises at PohakutoaTrainin Brea l a
full archaeological inventory survey and Ka Pa'akai analysis are compged,a7td by
rejecting any lease renewals or land swaps with the military.
For over six decades, the military has used these sacred conservation lands at
Pohakutoa—leased forjust $1 in 1964—for destructive training activities. Despite
their legal and cultural significance, these lands have been bombed, burned, and
contaminated. More than 1,000 wildfires have been sparked, endangered species
habitats destroyed, and unexploded ordnance and depleted uranium shells
continue to threaten the safety of our people and environment. In the entire time
they occupied PTA, the Army has given the people of Hawaii NO indication they will
ever be good stewards.
The courts have already confirmed that the State has failed to uphold its
constitutional duty to monitor and protect these lands. In Ching v. Case (2019), the
Hawai'i Supreme Court found the State breached its trust obligations by neglecting
cleanup and oversight responsibilities at Pohakuloa. These failures cannot continue.
The Army's own environmental review was rejected by the Board of Land and
Natural Resources in May. The FEIS omitted key cultural and environmental surveys,
fatted to meaningfully assess contamination risks to groundwater, and ignored the
constitutional requirement to protect Native Hawaiian rights. To this day, no
comprehensive archaeological inventory survey or Ka Pa'akai analysis has been
completed, despite their clear legal mandate.
The Hawaii State Constitution is explicit: these public trust lands must be held for
the benefit of Native Hawaiians and the general public —not for military destruction.
Article XI I, Section 7 further mandates protection of Native Hawaiian cultural and
religious practices. Continuing live -fire exercises in violation of these constitutional
protections is unacceptable.
Before any discussion of lease renewal or land swaps, the military must first finance
and complete a comprehensive cleanup, restoration, and bioremediation plan to
heal the lands it has degraded.
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. V225
Comm. ,6eEGTo:Ref. Dote — 3