HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0176.003 2002-2004 March 27, 2003
Aloha Council Chair and Councilpersons of the Hawaii County Council,
Thank you for your efforts on behalf of Hawaii Island regarding resolution 54-03. The
Pohakuloa Citizen's Advisory Board can be a most important body, serving a useful purpose in
these historic times. Why'? Because an advisory group is essential for calming fears of citizens
and resolving disputes with Pohakuloa Training Area's expansion plans. As you all may know,
many citizen concerns and issues became part of the Environmental Impact Statement nearly one
year ago. The advisory group is necessary to address these issues amicably with PTA, and to
assure resolution of problems that arise. Their active participation and the channel of
communication with our local government and our citizens is essential for preventing
misinformation, anger and confusion.
We need to remain open minded, and begin this endeavor on a positive note. 1 was able
to obtain a copy of this resolution on 'Tuesday, and can see there may be some problems with the
tone. Should the resolution NOT pass at this time, please recognize the importance of the
advisory group and continue to persevere to create its existence. A collaborative effort can result
in a positive initiating document, acceptable to all.
People come from different orientations concerning our attitude about the importance and
presence of the military, wherever we are on this planet. For me, the most important goal right
now is getting the advisory board in place, so we can know more about what is going on and what
is planned, assertively influence implementation of certain plans, and have a lucid affect and
some control on how situations up there unfold. Please continue efforts to put this advisory board
in place. IT IS OF HISTORIC IMPORTANCE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER VIA THE
ADVISORY GROUP, W[TH THE MILITARY AT POHAKULOA TRAINING ARF,A. This
must be a positive effort designed for the greatest good of the people of Hawaii!
Thank you very much and I wish you the best of luck in passing a resolution that will
have an clear impact on opening up communication with all entities. The result can be the most
careful and conscientious implementation of any new endeavors, while addressing all past
ramifications, at the Pohakuloa Training Area.
~~~est of luck,!,
Sandy Bon
PO 10927
Hilo, Hawaii V .1
96721 Comm. Na V v
P51e No.~ ~4 ~
Ref. To: hw~~~
Ref. 11a1a_,Arl\ 1 200.)
,luny 2?, 2.GG2
:~.ICh.a P,/lr. ~.-gamy,
Tt~~ank~ you for facilitating ttis tour an;~ c,; ~ws±;cr? sessi;.tn at PTA with merr~hers of thy; Isiarx9 of
Hawrui cor,tmurnty As a group we are ronCerned ak~ut HawaD anti her fragile envtronmery
'n n r~ sg~.:ie; ~•r~r?Qm~. rte,
ir.Uf~1
qr t , aion ~~d~r
,rg~, v~ n natural beauty For
many of us trte concern is that continued uSe and further expansion rat Pot>akuloa may
degrade air, soil and water threaten cultural site, and people and seal thF; fate of alreact`r
endangered species. -
F'Iease ccnstder the following q~ ~estron~,
uVhat is the proFxxtiona±e amount of n~tilaar'y in Ha~4aii and on the Pig Island comparE~cJ to
other states?
z What endangered spec+es in the p:esert f,roposed areas are you aware of'~ How will
you work to safeguard these? Is there a copy ct the management plan for endangered
species in the area? What .s the plan with the endangered plants yc;u are growing % Are
you employing GMC7 tachrtiques? Do you plan to release any uh~?C) technology into the
present err~ironrnent at P7A,?
3 Vo'ill you support and allow sandalwood refCiestatian efforts'
,f Is the endangered Kauria•'kawiia on any t;f your properties cr proposed acc~usition
pri~perties'~
`v~Jhat afen Species control ~s there in t~(~~t;e?
to 4"that S tt'le StatU5 +.7f 'fQn(;r~i~ tC~ prO:eC'.'I (?ndctigered Sp@CIC'S'?
;~`,:the F'ohakufoa gulch and strearr't, in n~su of restoratl~n, on army laud?
n L_rOiiUt"i F9i'Ki ('iGb'aSt,allOn CaY'1 CGntflbUte tC dtr~t CCindltl0n5 tfli3t C:a(ry Ci)11t,81Y116'lal'It5 on the
winds UJill rtinWmir?ants reach Waikii artcl the k_ohoia hotel area on prevadmg winds
What is the average yearly rair?falf? Wiii prc~ipitatiun Carry rx;ntaminants into the Pohakulot;
Aqurter'~
What water wells a.re in the area?
How can off road vehicles and maneuvers NGT damage the present terrain?
Will this kind of u~;~~ of land c~~ntribute to fires % ~~`Vhat is your fire prevention and controt
plan?
Can you describe the categories of Ccntam;nants already on the C'i.A grounds'?
Va'e are rsoncerned about the ~.~nexp'c~ded Cr'dinance, cnernical ~ esidues, radioaCtivc'~
materials and past unfinished clean-ups. can you speak to th>~t?
w is there a plan to clean up the \Naik~~loa site's
,s is there at present radiatia? monitoring records from the use, of uranium °ippzd bullets'?
,z ;+~ildren have discovered unexploded ordinance. What is the pPrcantage of wrexplrx,Jc~c
ordinance? ~o yo;~ have a plan to deal 'with unexploded ordinance%is there an
assessment'?
Have them; been chemical weapon tests done at PTA'?
,s Are there dumpsites of munitions^
, p What effect has propellents had on the ~airls Smut camp arx+ Statr~.~ Park cxtrnpgrounds
a,> What a done with propellent bags left oven
Has soil testing been done at those 5ites'i
Are there open detonation srtes at P"'A and where are they?
:,a Car* you wirlerstand our he nation irr g'~viny over this beautiful area of ~~ur ~~sianu to an arrrry
dust has in the t;ast created devastat:nn taking millions <,f dollars to ,lean vf', ~
Is a~l of the proposer' acquisition land Parker Ranch or rS any Hawaiian Horne;; and cC~dr~t~
lane's?
zr> Is ~t rue that the present PTA rala~tp is on Hawaiian Hcrr-les iz~,nd wi±h are extrernely la~~i
leases if so what do you pay Hawaiian Homes Land far thr lease on PTA's
z<- Is there a nuclear misr~;ile site on the P-fA slte or Mauna Kea area^ Do you intend to ~naig
In nuclear rnissi!es if they are not here nCw, or bring more rf already present?
~ !s the military bound by enviranmentaf laws?
as Are there any anticipated changes in environmental laws, exempting the military
.?~r Is ttie military free from havirg to reveal nuclear capabilities, radioac;Yive biological and
chemical contamination's and uses?
_1~r What kind of caemical_ biological warfare Uairtir,g vall take place and what is protrrrol for
handling?
,r Will you be using any 2.ndlor all :~f the above'?
3+ Wiil Kawaihae Warbor oe ~~rsect for ci ~emu;al and fuel storage'}
3 i Are you aware of ~e r.;any Hawairan cultural sites and legends tfrat in~~pact the area froth
PTA and f~launa Kea down to the Kawaihae t-larbor and Co~stlina?
t~ you kno~r: that this area .^,ortains a Natural F~arine Sanctuary?
3~ What measures will y~,.r take to safeguard arty storage tanks frr7rn leaks from Uae dacnas;e
incurred by tsunam+, earthquake, nsng waters, hurricanes and fire
3b What is the m~4~tary Currently trartspoiUng do hiawaii's highways and 15 err, of it toxu
5: V~lhere is ttte proposed leap trail7VJould a ro;3d build here for the military be vis+b!e frul7~
our presentroads~
Is this historic trail bail Ig use,'U at ti~~e prCSent time. and were tr,ere plans fnr preserratioli of
this trail arx,~ archaeotcyic,al sites treat :rdght tx~rder it'?
VJii! communication towers be visible from eiviiian areas
vo How many are you plann~rg?
w~ Ac;cordinq to the Hawaii General Plan only 5% of our archeological s~~tes have been
identified?
u2What measures will y.~u take to rnzke sure these saes wrN rx~t dastro~/ed?
a3 How do you identrfy grave sites^
;~~;Are you aware of any grave stes an the P?`A camp at presen` or In tn~a proposed lar~ri to
acquire or along the jeep trail??
~s Have you ever uneariheKi a grave rite en P i A land;.,
v~; Have you discovered or damaged caves In the past
Do you ra~~a plans tc o~,cupy discovered caves"?
~~I~9Uo you have plans K~ {urYher expand into this area and on to fb"auna `r'Ea~
H9tJ'tiQlat ACC:nvr7t;r~ benefits Can We au an t9lanil. t-"rer people ania bl.ISfnE85eS anticipate ffcn'(1
this expansion?
~~VJiil troops came to town?
c VJ;Ii produce and foods and other suppLes be purc.,haseri loca~!y~
t, t'owlarge will the airp<~rt and the plates bey
flow often will they land?
5.~ How far ran they be heard?
~s Vdhat are the main flight patten-ts'?
.,-E, t-low will tl-le noise affect Wairr,ea V'Jaikii .r3nci Hilo residents%'
~ VJfil mountain klyds affect or bE~ affertc.S by takeoffs artd landings?
,s ftte sacrednes, and 'ceauty of the rountain appear ardangerec: by tttls military 6Cnvity,
Are you aware that thi~~ entire proprsal appears to conflict directly wltrl the Hawaii ~slan~S
GE;neral Plan with re.gr~rds to t,istonc preservation, environmertt and natural beauty?
d Wi{I you address native Hawaiian r:or>cerns .*egarding illegal orc.upation their Hawaiian
Kingdorn grwe~rnmerlt NCr~l- givin_y perrr~rssion for the F'"f'A damp cr for the expansioir~?
b~'hat i:, the present situation at Fort Lewis regarding degradation of the Environment a.,d
public concern?
i I~~c:)w Wlli yC7U CiiSpOS£ of yCUr gafb<~ge
~,z W~li you ~articipate~ in ~ec;,~clingv
WIli you assi,t tho cro~.~nty in paying for any addE~d burden to :>rrr ianrfill'?
/k>as
yr to fJative Hawaiian ac~~-;ss for custr~rnary and tladitiorhl
r`'r ather~ng anU the practice of Native Hawaiian
~flliginn I ind~ar tnn pn~N d~cinlr~.,_
%~`%'Nhere will yi;~..lr sewage gn?
k G Where viii yo..~r ~rvater and drinkirxg watty~ cc-rt~~~ from?
~r Why is m.~i.~na Kea State Fark CIcs~J while you aro al'owed to remain; a fh~> issue fire and
~.vater'??
%r Is the realio,nment of the Saddle Road planned to facilitate this rniiit~ary e:xt7anslc,n~
;,~1 UVitP~ or without expansion will you be repairing and maintaining our present portion of the
road which appears in the worst shape of any other part of the Saudle Road?
People are concerned about the present condit6on of your land, buildings and road, past
failure~~, at acceptable cleanup, co%aminations and devastations tc tyre p~arth.
7r% Can you realize that we, as representatives of Hawaii. desire respeu~t to the cult:,re anti
f~nv~ronment of this beautiful and sacrecJ area?
rlease f~;l free to provide as many wr~tter answers to these yurations as possrbl~-> a; v,o
know our time at the PTA rs limited. Also know, that there is no disrespc~a for there who
hove gwen their lives ir, tlefense of this country. We w?sh fur another way to solve thEi
disputes that litter the planet and only hope and pray that it can be found. Pease
understand that we only want the best future far our Yittle island. Our ~xincerr7 comes fro;7; ttr.3
honor of !wing here and the ultimate resper.,t for those who wish to do right by this lane.
!~Qahalo with sincerRy;
`~andra F E3onk.
And a!I ethers ;xmtributirxd r~~ this ck~curnerrt