Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 7, 1 July 2003 — Military eco-friendly [ARTICLE]

Military eco-friendly

Sparky Rodrigues' June issue letter contains false statements regarding the Mākua military training and they need to be corrected. On KITV news (Feb. 5), the Sierra Club said that the military is better than the state and counties at environmental management. As to specific statements expressed: • The Army does not have a 100-year lease at one cent a year on the entire Mākua training area. The state lease is for 782.35 acres along Farrington Highway; • Destruction of waste material was terminated a long while ago, according to Alvin Char, who oversees environmental and publie works at Schofield Barracks; • As to toxic substances leaching into our

soil, the Army has contracted a private eompany to do the required testing and the report is due out later this year; • On endangered plants, the Army's Biologist Kapua Kawelo noted, "If it weren't for the Army's efforts to protect the land, these plants and animals would be in mueh worse shape," and that pigs and goats caused greater soil erosion damage to endangered plants than the military's presenee; • Pres. Bush reportedly plans to exempt the military from most major environmental protection laws, but Congressional action is pending. Our elected officials and community leaders have always had a close relationship

with the military. Many of our families have sons, daughters and relatives in the armed services, not to mention the many veterans and retirees who live here. If Mālama Mākua is about caring for Mākua, then shouldn't the removal of abandoned cars, refrigerators, 'ōpala, you name it, that continually litters the highway and beaches be of eoneem too? Battery acid, radiator anti-freeze, lubricants, etc. leaking into the ground pose a serious contamination problem to the environment, too. Isn't that enough to also cause 'eha? 6/7/ Prescott Wai'anae

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