HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1142.026 2006-2008
Please reread and reconsider Pagel of 2
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Dominc Yagong
From: galenis@hawaiiantel.net
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 8:20 AM
To: dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Please reread and reconsider
Dear Representative,
A few weeks ago you were sent the letter below. Thus far there has been no response from you.
Because of the urgency of the subject matter at hand, I am resending the letter in hopes that you will
take the time to reread it, consider how you might help, and let me know soon. Working together we
can put forth a powerful and determined effort to assure the safety of all residents of Hawaii Island.
Mahalo,
Jim Albertini
Malu 'Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Boa AB Ola's (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 email ja@i"terpac.net www.malu-aina.org
Dear Mayor Kim and All Hawaii public officials:
March 25, 2008
Re citizen call: All live-fire and aerial bombings of the entire Pohakuloa range should be
immediately stopped until a thorough, objective and independent survey has been funded
(via the military budget) and completed, in order to assure real public safety.
Thank you Mayor Kim for responding March 17th to our March 3rd open letter appeal to you and other
government officials. You speak of having "established through all these years a relationship that is based on trust
and respect of the other's position" Mayor Kim, that trust has been breaking down. In regards to calling for a halt
to all live-fire and bombing at Pohakuloa you state that you "will not do that" Instead you choose to turn again to
the military and the Dept. of Health (DOH), for further education and updates on the issue. Mayor Kim, on the
Pohakuloa issue, these agencies have not served the people well and have placed us all at risk of contamination.
Doctors and scientists (Medical Dr. Lorrin Pang, Major Doug Rokke, PhD who was in charge of the first Gulf War
DU clean up, and others) are warning us of the dangers of D.U. radiation. The general threat of DU is not the
question. The question is -is the DU at PTA a threat?
The radiation testing done by the DOH and the Army at PTA is incomplete. The full extent of the radiation
contamination is not yet known. The Army/DOH are not answering Malu Aina and Sierra Club repeated requests
for information. The Army's lead person, Col Howard Killian, from all appearances, is stonewalling the public, and
may even be covering up information on further radiation contamination in Hawaii.
Mayor Kim, the Army has lied to Big Island residents and officials in the past They said they wanted to do
'Weather testing" in the Waiakea Forest Reserve, Hilo's Watershed, when in fact they conducted secret, deadly,
nerve gas testing there. Neither does the Dept of Health have a good track record in standing up for public health
against the military, which is one of, if not in fact the largest polluter in Hawaii.
Mayor Kim, trust and respect are good things, but you are our paid top county public official. We want to know
and see the basis of your unwillingness to stop the spread of military radiation contamination on Hawaii Island.
Mr. Mayor - show us the data, the documents, the communication, upon which you are basing your stance.
We would like copies of all communication between you and DOH Russell Takata, Dr. Fukino, and other DOH
officials over the issue of radiation contamination at PTA. We would also like copies of all communication between
you and military personnel over the same issue. comm, co. 1 I4
4/21/2008 Ref. To: kreaueL"
Ref. Dote ?PP 21 7002
Please reread and reconsider Page 2 of 2
Russell Takata of the DOH, in response to numerous community requests, promised in the fall of 2007 to hold
open, balanced, public forums in east Hawaii on the military radiation contamination issue by December 2007. To
date no such forums have been held.
Mayor Kim, we have been appealing to you and other government officials, as well as the Army and the DOH
since Aug. 20, 2007, when the Army confirmed radiation contamination at PTA. We have called for 5 basic
points: 1. Haft all live-fire; 2 Citizen monitors involved in the process of further assessment; 3 Continuous
monitoring around impact areas; 4. Testing of military and civilians for exposure; 5. Ongoing public
balanced informational and Q & A meetings. Not one of these appeals have been met with a positive
response. The military keeps bombing and shelling away on a base known to be contaminated with radiation and
our elected officials remain silent and fail to take even basic actions noted above. The trust and respect needs
fixing, Mr. Mayor. Actions will speak a lot better than words to repair the damage.
Mr. Mayor, you could have spoken out long ago calling for citizen representatives (including Dr. Lorrin Pang) to be
involved in the ongoing assessment of the potential DU problem with the Army/DOH to assure transparency and
the confidence of the community. You could have also called for (even moderated) public balanced informational
and Q & A meetings with the Army/DOH, Dr. Pang, etc. Its late, but never too late, for such actions. But more is
needed. Isn't it about time that government ( including the Army/DOH, and yourself) begins to operate on the
precautionary principle?
We would like to meet with you to discuss these matters further, but we want more action now than you offered in
your March 17th letter as a good faith expression of mutual trust and respect.
Mahalo and Aloha.
Jim Albertini
for Malu 'Aina Ohana
cc: for public release
4/21/2008