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Proof of Hawaii County Mayoral candidates ignorance about what’s going on at Pohakuloa

Published by jalbertini on September 19th, 2024 in Military, Pohakuloa, Radiation, Social Justice, Take Action!.

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.

Question emailed by Jim Albertini on the 133,000 acre Pohakuloa Toxic Area (PTA) bombed and shelled for more than 80 years in the center of Hawaii Island.
 

What are you doing to prevent Pohakuloa from becoming our Big Island “Red Hill” toxic water disaster, our Lahaina firestorm from bombing and shelling in the dry, windy Saddle Area, and all of us on Hawaii Island from becoming nuclear (and other airborne toxic) down winders?
 
Articles below on PTA lease

  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.)

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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

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