Hawaii County Democatic Party proposed resolution on Depleted Uranium (DU)

Below is  draft resolution that will go to the floor of the Hawaii County Democratic Party Convention on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at the Naniloa Hotel in Hilo.  It passed the resolution committee by a vote of 24 to 0.

RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE BLNR REQUIRE CLEAN UP OF DEPLETED URANIUM (DU) RADIATION CONTAMINATION AT POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA

APPROVE: 24   OPPOSE: 0

WHEREAS, now it has been confirmed that in the 1960s the U.S. Army used the Pohakuloa Training Area for firing spotting rounds containing Depleted Uranium (DU) for the Davy Crockett nuclear weapon system; and

WHEREAS, the Army has acknowledged past use of Depleted Uranium in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the DU spotting rounds have created the presence of radiation contamination at Pohakuloa; and

WHEREAS, due to inaccurate military record keeping, there may be more DU contamination at Pohakuloa than just Davy Crockett spotting rounds; and

WHEREAS, on July 2, 2008 the Hawaii County Council passed Resolution 639-08 by a vote of 8-1; and

WHEREAS, resolution 639-08 called for “a complete halt to B-2 bombing missions and to all live firing exercises and other activities at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) that creates dust until there is an assessment and clean up of the depleted uranium already present;” and

WHEREAS, live-fire continues at PTA and the DU has not been cleaned up;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Hawaii Democratic Party request that the State BLNR require clean up of depleted uranium (DU) radiation contamination at Pohakuloa, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to Hawaii’s Congressional delegation, State Legislators, Hawaii County Council members, the Mayor of Hawaii County, the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the State BLNR,  and the U.S. Army Garrison Commander, Pohakuloa Training Area.