Archive for April, 2024

Protect Pohakuloa –EIS Public Meetings

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024

Protect

Pohakuloa

No Military Lease Renewal, No Land Swaps, Stop the Bombing and Desecration, Make the Military Clean Up its Toxic Mess, Return the Land to the Kanaka Maoli!

The Big Lie – “We are Stewards of the Land” PTA commander LTC Timothy Alvarado, June 29, 2023, Hawaii Tribune-Herald

A Few Simple Truths:

1. Millions of live rounds are fired annually at Pohakuloa by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and foreign troops involving a wide range of weapon systems from dozens of firing points on land leased from the State of Hawaii. (p. 52 of draft 2 EIS)

2. Depleted Uranium (DU) is just one of many toxins used at the 133,000-acre site in over 75 years of bombing and shelling. DU oxide particles can be carried long distances in the wind and when inhaled can cause a wide range of cancers, birth defects, and even genetic damage passed to future generations.

3. Pohakuloa is a Lahaina firestorm in the making for Hawaii Island and the danger is increasing with climate change. There have been 892 recorded fires attributable to military activities at PTA since 1975 according to the military. (p. 354)

4. Whatever happens mauka comes makai. We are all downwind, downhill of Pohakuloa. The military poisoning of military families and civilians from Red Hill jet fuel leaks into Oahu’s water table is not an isolated military toxic event.

Learn more: See the 11-minute video — How the Army Got to Bomb Hawaii For $1  https://youtu.be/-nsn4Sxy8r8  The Pohakuloa 14 min. video “Now that you Know, Do You Care?” https://vimeo.com/94598875  Also, the video of Dr. Lorrin Pang, M.D., public health officer, retired 24 years in the Army Medical Corps and listed in the Who’s Who (top 3%) of America’s Best Doctors explaining the health dangers of inhaling DU oxide dust particles https://vimeo.com/19153948.  Also read – A Brief History Of US Military Poisoning Of Hawai’i – PopularResistance.Org

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.
       4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

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 to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

May 3, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1179 – Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

 

Important Public Meetings

about the Military wanting to retain land

by State lease renewal, land swap, etc.

at the 133,000 acre

Pohakuloa Toxic Area

in the center of Hawaii Island that has been bombed and shelled for 75 years with a wide range of toxins including Depleted Uranium radiation.

6-8 PM Mon. May 6 Waimea District Park

6-8 PM Tue. May 7 ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on UH Hilo Campus

Mark your Calendars!

Read the PTA Environmental Impact Statement here to submit comments in

writing by mail, email, or by phone

https://home.army.mil/hawaii/ptaeis/project-home

Please pass the word. Mahalo.

                                                   

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

Re: Report on the ” Experience Pohakuloa Day” protest outside the PTA main gate

Thursday, April 25th, 2024

“Experience Pohakuloa Day” Report

Here is a report on the ” Experience Pohakuloa Day” protest outside the PTA main gate April 25, 2024.  Five of us were there to hold signs, 4 dressed in all white hazmat type suits with masks and hard hats.

The good news is that only 2 full size school buses entered PTA for the event. One of the buses was from Connections Charter School in Hilo.  The other bus had elementary school students.  I could see their faces barely above the window level of the bus.  I do not know from which elementary school the bus was from. There were far fewer school buses than in previous years.  So it appears that the letters, emails and faxes we sent to every school on the island warning about the hazards of going to PTA had some effect.  A few smaller vans also entered, some possibly carrying school students.  I would estimate only about 70 cars entered the base in the 2 and 1/2 hours that we stood outside the main gate holding signs. From 8:30 – 11 AM. So the overall numbers of schools and general public were down significantly compared to past years. Several of the vehicles accepted our leaflet.  Most did not.  I asked one of the van drivers if they were from a school.  The driver said No.  We are from Pro Life.  One of the other protesters said I should have told the driver “if she’s Pro Life — she is heading in the wrong direction.  Turn around!” 

We had a radiation monitor active for the time we were outside the main gate.  The winds were strong coming from the east at a speed estimated to be 30 MPH with higher gusts.  Our radiation monitor was measuring counts per minute.  Normal background was about 25 cpm.  We had a high reading of 75 cpm with numerous over 50 cpm.  Our highest readings over the years involve winds from the south coming off the base toward the Saddle Road.

We only had one person driving into the base who yelled at us.  It was a Chinese hate filled statement, something to the effect that “the Chinese will make minced meat of you.” Reminded me of boxer Mohamed Ali who protested the Vietnam war saying “No Vietcong ever called me the N word.”

All in all, it was a good day of protest.  But would have been better with 50 or 500.    Maybe next time at the PTA EIS public Meetings set for 6-8 PM Monday, May 6th at Waimea District Park, and Tuesday, May 7th 6-8 PM at Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo.  The military wants its PTA lease renewed or a land swap, etc.  Tell them NO new lease.  No land swap, etc.  Stop Bombing Pohakuloa. Clean up the military mess at PTA and return the land to the Hawaiian people like Kaho’olawe. But do a much better clean up job than was done on Kaho’olawe.  These are public meetings but should be public HEARINGS where the community can listen to each others testimony instead of being told to go over in the corner and record your statement with a stenographer. And instead of just 2 meetings on THE BIG ISLAND, there should be public hearings in every one of the 9 districts on Hawaii Island. Let your elected officials know your thoughts.

As we were packing up to leave a Na Leo TV in Hilo reporter and camera person asked to interview me about my thoughts on the event.  It should be posted in about 1 week on  naleo.tv iMahalo. Jim Albertini

See sign holding photos below outside PTA main gate on

Thursday, April 25, 2024

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

Sign holding outside PTA main gate  Thursday, April 25, 2024