Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1988 — Space Port in Kaʻu [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Space Port in Kaʻu

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

There is eoneem amongst Hawaiians and others on the Island of Hawaii, especially in Ka'u, about the way the proposed space port is being rammed down the throats of the people by our congressional delegation and state and county administrations. Thus far, over 300,000

tax dollars have been sent on the Arthur D. Little study on the feasibility of aspace port on Hawaii. A bill is also traveling through this legislative session calling for an expenditure of over $1.2 million for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) — again paid for by the taxpayers of these islands. Why should government pay for an E1S that will benefit private industry at the expense of all of us? If the state is in collusion (partnership) with private enterprise to build a space port, where is the unbiased analysis relating to genuine environmental and safety concems?

The Arthur D. Little report does not (highly) recommend there be a space launeh facility in Ka'u. In fact, it de-emphasizes it. The report does, however, encourage space-related industries such as a space theme park and data-gathering facilities as a positive direction for the future development of the Ka'u district. It also happens to be true that these entities (data-gathering and theme park) are labor intensive and will create many jobs, whereas the launeh facility will provide fewer jobs in comparison. Yet it will create environmental and health dangers to the Ka'u community and its oeean waters. Remember that

in 1983 Ellison Onizuka in the Hawaii Tribute Herald stated that "although it may provide a few jobs, for environmental reasons and otherwise there should be no space launeh facility on Hawaii Island." Palima Point is near Volcanoes Nahonal Park, surrounded by a fault zone, and is not a healthy environment for the dangerous and toxic solid fuel component of the launching facility. The proposed space port will destroy the cultural integrity of that area. It is insulting to our seafaring ancients that certain federal, state and county officials use the fact that Ka'u-Kalae (South Point) was the point from where our kupuna left to go further down into the Pacific to our roots in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Tahiti, Raiatea and the Marquesas. It is a sacrilege to use the great feats of

these ancestors traveling by eanoe to and from Kalae as a key "selling point" to allow this hazardous launeh industry into Ka'u. Shame on anyone for using our ancestors in that way! When current Hawaiians are familiar with space as our ancients were with the sea, we will prepare to launeh our first eanoe to the moon.

Aluminum oxide poisoning is a by-product of the solid rocket fuel during a launeh. A May, 1987, Hawaii Tribute Herald article states that there is mueh evidence that Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating illness, is tied in with aluminum ingestion. Clouds of polluting smoke from the rocket launeh inhaled by the people of Ka'u (and where the winds may carry to Kona) endangers everyone, residents and tourists alike. At public meetings held in Ka'u during these past five years of "space port sell", the community eame out by the

hundreds (consistently) sharing their disapproval of this dangerous space launching project. Only a few in number have ever eome out in support of space launeh, although a majority of the eommunity are in favor of the job intensive theme park and data gathering facility. Also, the jobs at the launeh facility would be highly skilled and probably be filled by mainlanders who have worked at other space facilities. Our loeal people, unskilled in these areas, could only for now fit into the project as menial laborers.

At a Feb. 27 hearing of the Senate Committee on Business Development and Pacific Relations chaired by Senator Anthony Chang and held in Pahala, Ka'u, many Hawaiians and locals pointed out their concems and feelings against space port. Only Mayor Dante Carpenter and a few of his friends eame out in favor of the launeh facility. To my surprise, the mayor was booed during his "space launeh sell". Carpenter the next day, in speaking to a reporter for the Tribune Herald (that was not at the hearing), fantasized that one-third

— of the people attending were for space launehing. Mufi Hanneman is C. Brewer's vice president and their man to push space port and Punaluu resort development. Yet, he has been in Ka'u a short time, is away most of the while, and has been reassigned to bring the battleship Missouri into Pearl Harbor. He and Carpenter seem to think by telling the media that only a few are in opposition and most of the community are open to space port that their support will just materialize. The evidence as shown by the many who have attended and spoken out at meetings all these years show the majority of the community is and has been against the launeh facility. Carpenter and Hanneman are guilty of trying to manipulate the

press and creating distortions to mislead the media. Hawaiian and other fishermen are very eoncemed about not being able to go to prime fishing grounds at a time when Palima Point would be closed off because of launches. Most Ka'u people love and cherish the rural lifestyle of that 'aina and do not want it destroyed. They need open access to that oeean in order to feed their families. The toxic fuel ean destroy these fishing grounds whieh are some of the best throughout these islands.

The infrastructure for this space port could cost billions of tax dollars whieh private industry should instead pay. There is also the question of liability in case of accident. The taxpayers must refuse to be responsible for such an industry that is so high risk. Several months ago, Cable News Network (CNN) pointed out that eaeh launeh requires between 20 and 40 million dollars of insurance. Since these will be commercial launches, the government should not have to pay liability. Yet these private companies do not have a track record or the means to insure themselves. If these

companies cannot afford their own insurance, why should the taxpayers be burdened with this responsibility? At the moment, there is no firm that is actually interested in moving to Hawaii utilizing the proposed launeh facility. Although there are those companies that have said if there were facilities in Hawaii they may consider using them, existing mainland facilities and their proposed expansion will fill the current needs for launchings. Ka Ohana O Kalae and the Citizens Action Group of Ka'u have been working hard to inform the community about the perils of space port. We are also very fortunate to have the kokua of Keawe Vredenburg, a part Hawaiian who has worked in the space industry and on satellites for a number of years. Born in Hilo and with roots in Ka'u, Kohala,

Waimea and Kona, Keawe had testimony delivered to Sen. Chang's committee at Pahala rationally pointing out the reasons why a launeh facility is premature. If interested, we ean send you a copy of Keawe's mana'o on space port. There is also eoneem that space port not be used for military weaponry purposes. Ka'u does not want to be a nuclear target.

The amount of proposed financial expenditure for the space port could instead be used to finance education, irrigation, the fishing industry, aquaculture, food processing, agriculture and related areas — all of whieh are labor intensive and necessary for the survival of Ka'u, the island, state, nation and world. Aloha 'aina. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.