Malu 'Aina

U.S. Military Illegally

Disposes of Depleted

Uranium (DU) in Hawaii!

      Malu ‘Aina calls on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other authorities, to uphold the Hawaii State Constitution against the U.S. military polluting our islands with depleted uranium.  All live-fire at bases known to contain DU must be stopped, comprehensive testing and monitoring must be implemented, including further testing of residents urine for high levels of uranium.  Since the military cannot account for the hundreds, possibly thousands, of rounds of depleted uranium it used in Hawaii, it has effectively disposed of it in Hawaii.  Malu ‘Aina hereby requests the Hawaii County Prosecutor, the Hawaii State Attorney General, the Director of DLNR, and the NRC to initiate an investigation of the U.S. military for violation of the Hawaii State Constitution.

      On Dec. 12, 2012 the NRC will be meeting with the US Army in MARYLAND to discuss whether to issue a license for the military to possess DU in HAWAII. That meeting should be held in Hawaii, NOT MARYLAND, and the actions called for above should be ordered by the NRC. Let your voice be heard. Email the NRC Dominick.Orlando@nrc.gov. Mahalo.

DU USED IN HAWAII!

      DU has been used in military training at Pohakuloa, Schofield Barracks,and possibly other sites on various islands and surrounding waters. Recently, several Big island residents – patients of 3 Medical Doctors and a Naturopathic doctor – have tested high for uranium in their urine, including levels exceeding three times the upper expected limit. Email Gary.Gill@doh.hawaii.govto investigate to determine the source of this uranium.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII

ARTICLE XI on NUCLEAR ENERGY Section 8 states:  No nuclear fission power plant shall be constructed or radioactive material disposed of in the State without the prior approval by a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature. [Add Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978]

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS Section 9 states:  Each person has the right to a clean and healthful environment, as defined by laws relating to environmental quality, including control of pollution and conservation, protection and enhancement of natural resources…

HAWAII COUNTY ACTION AGAINST THE MILITARY

On July 2, 2008, the Hawaii County Council, by a vote of 8-1, passed Resolution 639-08:  Urging the US military to address the hazards of Depleted uranium at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA).  Specifically, that resolution called for 8 actions including a complete halt to B-2 bombing missions and to all live-firing exercises and other activities at PTA that create dust until there is an assessment and clean up of the depleted uranium already present. None of the 8 actions called for by the Hawaii County Council have been carried out by the U.S. military.

IS THE U.S. MILITARY ABOVE THE LAW?

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@malu-aina.org   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Nov. 30, 2012 – 584th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Below is information about DU in Hawaii.  Please email both the NRC and the Hawaii Department of Health to urge action.  Mahalo. Jim Albertini

The Hawaii Department of Health, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission need to conduct further investigation on this matter. Let your voice be heard! Email Gary.Gill@doh.hawaii.gov and tamara.powell@nrc.gov and your local elected officials

Mr. Orlando of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the U.S. Army, and all,

The Dec. 12th meeting in MARYLAND (should be in HAWAII) between the Army and the NRC over the issue of whether or not the NRC will issue a license for the Army to possess DU in Hawaii.  If someone has a license to possess garbage — lots of garbage — that someone is a DUMP.  I (and a lot of other people) don’t want nuclear waste dumps in Hawaii.  In fact, the Hawaii State constitution prohibits nuclear power plants and  nuclear waste dumps in Hawaii without a 2/3 vote of both houses of the Hawaii legislature.  I and others helped make that part of the State Constitution in 1978 at a Constitutional Convention.  Please be aware that neither the NRC nor the Army have a right to violate the Hawaii State Constitution.  The fact is the Army has several illegal dumps for DU in Hawaii and they continue to bomb those nuclear dumps causing the likely spread of the DU.  Order the Army to cease and desist ALL LIVE FIRE at known sites where DU has been used.  Order the widespread testing of people, on and off the military bases, for uranium in their urine.  Set up comprehensive testing and monitoring to determine the full extent of radiation contamination at these military bases.  The military records are lousy. They cannot be trusted. It is likely that the military used other DU weapons besides the hundreds or thousands of confirmed Davy Crockett spotting rounds.  According to the Army, DU weapons were not prohibited in training until 1996, so one has to assume they were possibly used before then.  There are approximately 20 different DU weapons in the US arsenal.

This is to again notify the NRC and the Army that 3 MDs and a naturopathic doctor in Hilo, Hawaii have patients that have tested high for uranium in their urine. One MD said he has a cluster of patients. There may be other doctors that I am unaware of.  At least one of these doctors has contacted the Hawaii State Dept. of Health to investigate the cause of the high uranium.  I personally know 2 of the people with high uranium and there are possible reasons to suspect they may have been contaminated by DU at the Pohakuloa Training Area ( PTA).  The NRC and the Health Dept. should investigate this matter further and the NRC should require that all live-fire at Pohakuloa be stopped until comprehensive testing and monitoring is completed to determine the extent of radiation contamination at the base and possible links to high uranium in people’s urine.  The NRC and Dept. of Health are charged with protecting public health.  Do your job please.

Four years and 4 months ago, on July 2, 2008, the Hawaii County Council by a vote of 8-1 passed Resolution 639-08:  Urging the US military to address the hazards of Depleted uranium at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA).  Specifically, that resolution called for 8 actions:
1.  Order a complete halt to B-2 bombing missions and to all live-firing exercises and other activities at PTA that create dust until there is an assessment and clean up of the depleted uranium already present;
2.  Establish a permanent, high-tech monitoring system with procedures to ensure air quality control;
3.  Establish a citizen monitoring system to work closely with military experts to assure transparency and community confidence;
4.  Host quarterly meetings to update and inform the public;
5.  Ensure permanent funds are available for the monitoring program;
6.  Provide a liaison to the County of Hawaii to facilitate communication between the U.S. military and the County of Hawaii;
7.  Provide semi-annual reports to the Hawaii County Council summarizing depleted uranium monitoring, detection, and mitigation efforts; and
8.  The U.S. military shall conduct a search of all records for firing of DU at PTA and all other Hawaii State military sites and release pertinent information to the public.

TO DATE, NONE OF THESE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT!

The NRC, the Army, The State of Hawaii Dept. of Health have failed in their public health responsibility on this matter.
The NRC has the power to require the military to carry out the above 8 points of action and to do urine tests for uranium on people who live and work near Pohakuloa and regularly travel the Saddle Rd.
Mahalo.
Jim Albertini
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http://cts.vresp.com/c/?PunaPonoAlliance/4dcdff8337/ae61929e85/4916475afb

End the Cycle of Violence!

The killing is being done disproportionately by the Israelis (with U.S. bombs, planes, etc). The dying is disproportionately Palestinians living under illegal Israeli occupation.

“I have been to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and I have witnessed the racially segregated roads and housing that reminded me so much of the conditions we experienced in South Africa under the racist system of Apartheid. I have witnessed the humiliation of Palestinian men, women, and children made to wait hours at Israeli military checkpoints routinely when trying to make the most basic of trips to visit relatives or attend school or college, and this humiliation is familiar to me and the many black South Africans who were corralled and regularly insulted by the security forces of the Apartheid government…

It is not with rancor that we criticize the Israeli government, but with hope, a hope that a better future can be made for both Israelis and Palestinians, a future in which both the violence of the occupier and the resulting violent resistance of the occupied come to an end, and where one people need not rule over another, engendering suffering, humiliation, and retaliation. True peace must be anchored in justice and an unwavering commitment to universal rights for all humans, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin or any other identity attribute.”

Desmond Tutu. Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter: “I think the big change is that the Israeli leaders have decided to abandon the two-state solution. Their policy now is to confiscate Palestinian territory.”

Free Palestine!   Free Hawaii!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Emailja@malu-aina.org   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Nov. 23, 2012 – 583rd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Nov. 15, 2012IAH Annual Awards Program Flyer 20121029-1