Pohakuloa “Earth Day” picket report
Aloha kakou,
We had a spirited gathering at the Pohakuloa main gate from 8:30 to noon on April 20th to Protest the military Pohakuloa “Earth Day” fraud. Activists from around the island were joined by about 30 or more Native activists from around the North Americans continent, including Alaska. While Native people chanted for peace, and love for land and water, the sounds of heavy artillery could be heard on Pohakuloa.
Below are a few radiation reading we picked up on Thursday, April 20 outside the Pohakuloa main gate. The particular radiation monitor is a Radiation Alert Inspector. The winds on the morning of April 20th at Pohakuloa were coming from the south, off the impact range toward the base compound and main gate and increased as the morning went on.. Live fire was taking place, including what sounded like heavy howitzer fire, cluster bombs, machine gun fire, etc.
We monitored for several hours and had 8 readings in the 60s CPM and the highest reading of 74 CPM (counts per minute) at 10:49AM. Normal background is 5-20 CPM. Again I emphasize that for the military to be inviting hundreds of young school children onto the base under such circumstances is highly irresponsible. I invited the editor of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, David Bach, to publish these radiation readings along with my letter so the families of the school children know what was taking place on the day their children attended Pohakuloa “Earth Day.”
Jim Albertini
PS view Millicent Cummings photos of our gathering at Pohakuloa here. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155184851166549&set=a.10155184883121549&type=3
See video here https: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXE8XEfahU&feature=youtu.be
Below is a letter to the editor I submitted on April 11, which has yet to be published. I visited the editor, David Bach today to complain.
Letter to the Editor
Pohakuloa: Clean up your DU DU
Penelope Blair’s letter of 4/8 was critical of our efforts to Protect Pohakuloa.
The 133,000-acre military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), which is 4-5 times the size of Kaho’olawe, is known to be contaminated with radioactive Depleted Uranium (DU), as well as other military toxins. My particular concern is the inhalation of DU oxide alpha particles. Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD, with 25 years experience in the Army Medical Corps, says inhalation of radiation alpha particles is “the most deadly form of radiation.”
In 2008, the Hawaii County Council by a vote of 8-1 passed resolution 639-08 which called for stopping all live-fire at Pohakuloa and clean up of the DU present. Yet Military live-fire, involving millions of live rounds annually, continues and the DU has not been cleaned up. In fact no comprehensive independent testing and monitoring has been done to determine the full extent of DU contamination. Continued bombing can resuspend DU oxide dust particles which can be carried long distances by the winds.
Our organization has detected numerous elevated radiation readings around Pohakuloa, including Mauna Kea Park and the Saddle Road area. Readings have been 3-4 times background levels. On April 20th Pohakuloa is hosting an “Earth Day” event 9AM-2PM. The public , including school children, are being invited to attend. Our organization would discourage pregnant women and young children from visiting Pohakuloa. I and others will be at the Pohakuloa main gate to say Earth Day is Every Day –Stop Bombing the Earth. We invite Penelope Blair to join us to do radiation monitoring and hold a sign for Aloha ‘Aina and for the military to clean up its DU DU.
Jim Albertini
