Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 12, 1 December 1991 — Kahoʻolawe eleanup cost studied [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahoʻolawe eleanup cost studied

by Deborah L. Ward Editor, Ka Wai Ola O OHA Studies of the cultural history, biology, and projected costs of removing ordnance from the island of Kaho'olawe are now being conducted by the Kaho'olawe Island Conveyance Commission. The results of these studies will become part of the commission's final report whieh will be presented to Congress in December 1992. An initial proposed draft of the final commission report will be developed about the end of August 1992 and will be made available for public

comment, whieh will be analyzed and noted in the final commission report. In July the commission compieted and sent to Congress its interim report whieh included a summary of testimony received at eight statewide public hearings held earlier this year. The report also contained general information on plants and wildlife on Kaho'olawe and spelled out the duties of the commission under the establishing legislation. Military target bombing of Kaho'olawe was halted for two years during the length of the commission's investigation.

The Kaho'olawe Island Conveyance Commission was established by Congress "to study and recommend terms and conditions for returning Kaho'olawe Island from the United States to the State of Hawai'i." It also provided funding to study the potential for a marine sanctuary in offshore waters of Kaho'olawe. Now underway are studies on the following subject areas: • Documenting history of Kaho'olawe as a chronological record from legendary times to Dec. continued page 11

Studies of the biology, cultural history of Kaho'olawe costs of removing the unexploded ordnance from the island are now underway.

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30, 1990; e Identification of places and areas of cultura! and historical significance © Identification of Kaho'olawe plaee names and geographic sites ® Historical research projects including: identification of "na mo'i o Kaho'olawe," the kings and queens of Kaho'olawe; the ranching history of the island; the first missionary school on Kaho'olawe; Pele traditions and Kaho'olawe; astroarcheology and Kaho'olawe sites. • Biological survey of plants and animals and their habitat, including native species; • Study of changes to Kaho'olawe's landscape from the time of the first Hawaiians to present time, including the presence of native plant species that ean be used in revegetation of the island;

• The major study, to be done by Ballena Systems Corp., will involve three components: a never-done-before historical review of military use of Kaho'olawe as a training site. This segment may indicate the types of munitions and ordnance whieh might be present on the island and their age; a eomplele review of the different technologies whieh could be used to detect and render harmless existing ordnance. Cost estimates for the use of these technologies would be included; and finally, recommendations for an action plan to determine the extent of the threat posed by existing ordnance and cost estimates to implement an ordnance removal action plan. ® Development of a geographic information system (GIS) to gather in a comprehensive data base archeological, historical, geological and other important information on Kaho'olawe.