Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2014 — As Army assesses training needs at Pōhakuloa, concerns remain over depleted uranium, cultural sites [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

As Army assesses training needs at Pōhakuloa, concerns remain over depleted uranium, cultural sites

By Harold Nedd As Hawaiians like Kalani Flores struggle to eope with the military's presence on Pōhakuloa, the U.S. Army is facing a growing challenge to tackle long-standing community concems stemming from live-fire training at the 59-year-old base. For the Army, Pōhakuloa presents both an opportunity and risk as the military looks to comply with federal law that requires it to get puhlie input on the plans it is now drawing up to make major upgrades by 2018 that are meant to last the base at least another half-century.

The Army's expected efforts to pitch a costly and contentious proposal also comes as it attempts to work closely with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to address community concems about its Pōhakuloa Training Area, whieh is the target of complaints about such hot-button issues as the destruction of land with significant cultural sites and exposure to heahh hazards caused by residue from depleted uranium used during military exercises. "I believe what the military is intending to do is going to cause further desecration and destmction to the 'āina of Pōhakuloa," said Flores, 52, an associate professor at Hawai'i Community College, who was among at least a dozen Hawaiians at a community meeting OHA held Feb. 25 at the Waimea Civic Center in Kamuela. "We're asking the military to stop the bombing. And we're hoping to get support from OHA to help protect our cultural resources on Pōhakuloa from further destruction." While the Army has acknowledged the concerns, it also voices its own concerns about statements that undermine its efforts at the base, saying it has not masked its intentions at the base, whieh is used to train annually between 11,000 and 13,000 personnel from the military as well as the Honolulu Poliee Department and the Sheriff's Office. "Currently, we are doing an assessment of what is needed at Pōhakuloa for training," said Lt. Col. Eric Shwedo, the commander of the Army Garrison at Pōhakuloa Training Area. "We are looking at facilities and ranges to determine what are our requirements. We are not looking at expanding Pōhakuloa beyond its current footprint, nor are we looking at expanding the number of people training there beyond historic levels. We are looking at what is needed to keep our soldiers, marines and Hawai'i Nahonal Guardsmen safe and successful in training and while deployed. SEE PŌHAKUL0A ON PAGE 17

We are not looking at expanding Pōhakuloa beyond its current footprint, nor are we looking at expanding the number of people training there beyond historic levels. We are looking at what is needed to keep our soldiers, marines and Hawai'i National Guardsmen safe and successful in training and while deployed." — Lt. Col. Eric Shwedo, commander of the Army Garrison at Pōhakuloa TrainingArea

LAND & WATER

Pōhakuloa Training Area, on Hawai'i lsland, lies between Mauna Kea to the northeast, Mauna Loa to the southeast and Hualalai volcano to the west. - Map: Ryan Gonzales

PŌHAKULOA

Continued from page 5 "I have discussed this strategy to many different groups, to include a eultural advisory committee made up of Native Hawaiian civic organizations, some loeal politicians and members of the media," Shwedo said. "Meanwhile,

there is no approved plan as to how we are moving forward. Onee a master plan is approved, we will ensure that we meet all regulatory requirements. We will work with our partners around the island to ensure transparency. OHA is on the shortlist of groups we will engage." In preparation, OHA has been holding a series of meetings on Hawai'i Island over the past year to listen to community concerns about the adverse effects of the military's presence in the 3,000-acre Pōhakuloa Training Area, whose landscape includes a heavy concentration of such cultural sites as shrines and ancient Hawaiian burials. Among them is the Bobcat Trail Habitation Cave, whieh is listed on the Nahonal Registry of Historic Places as an archaeological site of ancient Hawaiian living quarters. Federal law requires the Army to eonsult with the community to determine the effect of the planned upgrades to the Pōhakuloa Training Area on archaeological sites listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. For that reason, OHA has assembled a team of archaeologists to participate in surveying the sites. The team is also seeking information from the military about the Native Hawaiian sites within an Infantry Platoon Battle Course on Pōhakuloa. "We're trying to account for impacts on cultural sites," said Everett Ohta, the lead eomplianee specialist at OHA. "We are trying to give the community a better understanding of what's out there,

how they are distributed as well as how to get involved to minimize impact." In the meantime, a key dividing line between the military and the eommunity remains over suspected safety issues due to depleted uranium, or hazardous as well as toxic materials from firearms and other weapons used during training. OHA first drew puhlie attention to the

eoneem last April, when it launched its issues-based website called kamakakoi. eom, whieh gave a voice to professionals and community members who have suggested that the Army has been downplaying the heahh risks associated with the depleted uranium it acknowledges is present on Pōhakuloa. But the Army has rejected any suggestion that its reports on depleted uranium are based on faulty data, point to multiple studies, including one released in August 2013 by the state Department of Heahh to validate its elaim that the depleted uranium on Pōhakuloa does not pose a "significant heahh threat" to people in either West Hawai'i or East Hawai'i. Even so, Flores is among the Hawaiians behind a hard-edge campaign to corral the Army's plans to renovate its base at Pohakuloa. "What is presently happening at Pōhakuloa is what was happening on the island of Kaho'olawe when it was used for live-fire training and as a bombing target by the U.S. Armed Forces and other countries from 1941 to 1990," Flores said. "Through Kaho'olawe we experienced even greater lessons about our Papahānaumoku (Earth Mother) and how we, as Kānaka, have a responsibility to care for and nurture the natural resources of earth, sea and the sky. Our kūpuna understood and honored this responsibility as aloha 'āina, a loving care for the natural elements, resources and forces of life. We ean help others remember that our 'āina is still sacred." ■

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We re trying to account for impacts on cultural sites.We are tryingto give the community abetter und.erstand.ing of what s out there, how they are distributed as well as how to get involved to minimize impact." — Everett Ohta, OHA lead eomplianee specialist