Malu 'Aina

Sept. 23, 2024

Pohakuloa TOXIC Area (PTA)

Our Hawaii County Mayoral candidates, Mitch Roth and Kimo Alameda are a sad case regarding basic facts and awareness of Pohakuloa dangers.

Mitch and Kimo need to know that the current Pohakuloa lease of 23,000 acres from the State is not $1 per year (as they both stated in recent debates). It’s $1 for 65 years –from 1964- to 2029. If you don’t even know that, what do you know about Depleted Uranium radiation, lead, and other military toxins, spreading around our island blowing in the wind from military bombing and shelling?  What about the threat of military toxins to our groundwater?  Is Pohakuloa our Red Hill water disaster in the making? The military spends over a million dollars a year hauling water to Pohakuloa.  More than 10 years ago the military drilled two wells on the base and hit water at shallow depths, but they are still not using the water from those wells.  Why?  Are military toxins in the water?  The military admits to starting 892 fires at Pohakuloa since 1975.  One fire started in 2022 burned over 17,000 acres, including over 12,000 acres off the base destroying ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT!  Is Pohakuloa our Lahaina firestorm in the making?  Why are so many elected officials and candidates ignorant about the TOXIC ELEPHANT in the center of Hawaii Island?

The ignorance about what’s happening at Pohakuloa is an indictment of political responsibility.  It is also an indictment of our local news media’s lack of reporting about the toxic elephant in the center of our island and the military secrecy that violates the public’s right to know.

It’s time for citizen voices to be heard.  Stop Bombing Pohakuloa!  Cancel the State Lease!  Cancel the 1964 Presidential Executive Order involving PTA that seized more than 84,000 acres at zero cost.  Make the Military Clean Up its Toxic Mess, and return all the land at Pohakuloa (132,000 + acres) to the Hawaiian people.

PS.  Let’s make sure the military does a better job at clean-up than it did on Kaho’olawe.

Jim Albertini

-- 
Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a (Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org

Mayor Forum, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, held at the Waikoloa Beach Resort at the convention of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

I just finished watching the 1/2 hour Mayoral debate between Mitch Roth and Kimo Alameda moderated by Gina Mangieri of KHON2TV  Gina asked one general question about Pohakuloa, not the question I emailed. (See below)

Both Mitch and Kimo responded in a way that blatantly showed their ignorance about what’s happening at Pohakuloa.  Both said the $1 per year lease payment is a concern. Neither seemed to know that the state lease is actually $1 for 65 years (not $1/ year).   Neither seemed to be aware that the State leased land at PTA is 23,000 acres of the nearly 133,000 total acres at PTA -from 1964 to 2029. The major portion at PTA –84,000 acres is military seized (not owned) lands by a Presidential Executive order signed in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson for zero payment.  Kaho’olawe was also seized by a Presidential executive order and returned to Hawaii by another presidential executive order signed by President George H.W. Bush in the 1990s.

Neither Mitch nor Kimo seemed to be aware of what goes on at PTA — the millions of live rounds fired annually by a wide variety of weapon systems, the toxic contamination of Depleted Uranium radiation, lead, etc.  and the dangers posed as noted below in my question.  Neither Mitch nor Kimo raised health concerns about possible toxins blowing in the wind, toxins possibly contaminating groundwater, fire risks from bombing and shelling in a dry windy area, etc. The military EIS on the Pohakuloa lease noted 892 fires started at PTA since 1975 from military activities — bombing, shelling, etc.

1. • 65-year lease for which it pays $1

     • Of the approximately 132,000 total acres at Pohakuloa, the Army leases around 23,000 acres from the state on a 65-year lease for which it pays $1. The lease is set to expire in August 2029.
     www.staradvertiser.com › 2022/04/09 › hawaii-news

     Army seeks input on plan to renew lease on Pohakuloa Training …

2. www.civilbeat.org › 2024 › 04The Days Of The Army Leasing Land In Hawaii For $1 Are Likely …

    

   Apr 18, 2024 · The leased lands at Pohakuloa are the “connective tissue” between the two military-owned tracts of the training area, Gen. Charles Flynn, U.S. Army Pacific commander, told the board.  ( General Flynn needs to be told that SEIZED lands by a presidential executive order are not OWNED lands.)

-- 
Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a (Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org