HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.623 2024-2026From:
Calley O'Neill
Sent:
Friday, August 29, 2025 9:11 PM
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To:
Council Testimony
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Cc:
Calley O'Neill
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Subject:
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF RESOLUTION 234-25
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Importance:
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Aloha County Council Members,
My name is Calley O'Neill, long-time Waimea resident and conservationist. Thank you for your recent
unanimous affirmation of Resolution 234-25, which calls for the immediate halt to bombing and
desecration at Pohakuloa Training Area. Your thoughtful leadership here is deeply appreciated.
We strongly urge you to stand firm in supporting this resolution. In 2025, enough harm has already been
done —to the soil, the ecosystem, the culture of Hawai'i, to the spirit of aloha 'aina, and to future
generations anchored to the piko of our beloved island.
Pohakuloa sits at the sacred center of Hawaii Island, a wahi pana steeped in cultural and ecological
significance. As well you know,it is magnificent. It lies between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, spanning
over 108,000 acres —the largest U.S. Department of Defense installation in the Pacific. We understand it
is as big as the island of Oahu. The area shelters endangered species, such as the Palila and native
plants like honohono and kio`ele, as well as irreplaceable Hawaiian cultural sites.
Beneath this land lies a major aquifer that provides fresh water for Hawaii Island. Its protection is
non-negotiable. We must protect our water. The military's poor record —burning nearly 20,000 acres,
contaminating land, risking endangered species, disturbing cultural sites, and leaving depleted uranium
in the soil —shows they are not capable of safeguarding it. Depleted uranium and other contaminants
can become airborne or infiltrate groundwater, creating long-term, well -documented health and
ecological risks.
In May 2025, the Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected the Army's final Environmental Impact
Statement for Pohakuloa, citingfailure to identify unexploded ordnance, protect cultural resources,
safeguard endangered species, or adequately address groundwater concerns. That decision
underscores the urgency of your resolution.
Comm.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date
What needs to happen now:
• Immediately halt all bombing and live -fire exercises.
• Conduct an independent, transparent hydrological study to fully document the aquifer's
recharge areas, flow, and the communities it serves.
• Clean up all toxic contaminants, including depleted uranium, with transparent public
reporting.
• Undertake soil remediation and large-scale reforestation, to restore the land's ability to heal,
recharge the aquifer, and sustain native biodiversity.
• Inventory and protect all cultural and archaeological sites and endangered species, in
partnership with Native Hawaiian communities.
• Ensure Hawaiian Kupuna guide this entire process —their wisdom and cultural knowledge are
essential to making the land whole and sacred again.
Maintain strong community oversight and transparency, with citizen monitoring and clear
accountability for all restoration steps.
Please continue to lead with courage and clarity. This is not merely an emotional appeal —it is an urgent,
informed, and resolute call to protect the land, the water, our culture, and all future generations tethered
to this sacred piko of our island.
What you choose here will echo far beyond Hawai'i. By standing firm, you affirm Hawaii as a leader for
the world in peace, environmental stewardship, and honoring Indigenous wisdom.
We will be watching with gratitude and hope, applauding your leadership in safeguarding what is
rightfully ours.
With deep aloha hope, and conviction,
Caney O'Neill
MA, Social Ecology Goddard College
Calley O'Neill r t7 y-.
KONA AIRPORT Malama'Aina Mural Artist
PO Box 6571
Kamuela,Hawai'i 96743'j'