Nov. 18, 2022, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet
Stop Bombing
Pohakuloa Toxic Area (PTA)
Pohakuloa is NOT safe for soldiers, residents, and visitors to Hawaii Island. The area has been bombed for 75 years with a wide range of toxins, including lead, Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation, etc. Millions of live rounds are fired annually. The multiple toxins are resuspended in the air by high explosives and can be carried long distances in the wind. Everyone on Hawaii Island is downhill, downwind, and downstream of PTA’s toxins. Whatever happens mauka comes makai. PTA is Hawaii Island’s Red Hill and Camp Lejeune! Stop the Bombing! Cancel the State Lease! Shut Down Pohakuloa! Clean Up the military mess and return the land to the Hawaiian people! ENOUGH!
The Military Pohakuloa Toxic (Training) Area, located in the center of Hawaii Island at 6500 feet elevation totals 133,000 acres, or more than 200 square miles in size. That’s as big as the island of Guam. PTA has been used as a live fire training area since WWII by all branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and foreign troops too. Much of what goes on up at PTA is secret – training for nuclear war, assassination drone training, B-2 and B-52 bombing runs, the long list of various munitions used over the years, and even the number of live rounds fired annually. The last figure released nearly 2 decades ago was 14.8 million live rounds are fired annually at PTA.
The military leases 23,000 acres of Hawaiian crown and government lands from the State DLNR at Pohakuloa for a total cost of ONE DOLLAR for 65 years. The military is now trying to get that lease renewed. The current lease expires in 2029. 84,000 additional acres at PTA were simply seized in 1964 by a presidential executive order of Lyndon B. Johnson at ZERO cost. The military claims the 84,000 acres are “Federally owned land.” That’s like someone stealing your car and claiming they now own it. See Presidential Executive Order #11167 https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-11167-setting-aside-for-the-use-the-united-states-certain-public-lands-and
See State DLNR criticism of PTA lease PTA DLNR comment doc
See Pohakuloa 14 minute video “Now That You Know, Do You Care? https://vimeo.com/94598875
If you believe you have suffered harmful health effects connected to the Pohakuloa Toxic Area, contact our organization listed below.
Cancel, Don’t Renew, PTA State Land Lease!
Return Federally Seized Lands!
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, 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 http://www.malu-aina.org
November 18, 2022, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1103– Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office
