By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
WAI‘ANAE — Leeward Coast residents at a privately organized meeting yesterday delivered one dominant message: They want a complete environmental impact statement before live-fire training resumes in Makua Valley.
| Meetings set
Army/community meetings to discuss specific issues relating to the use of Makua Valley for live-fire training will be held at the Wai‘anae Recreation Center multi-purpose room on the following dates and times:
 March 18, 3 p.m., to discuss the purpose of the supplemental environmental assessment, the cumulative impact of training on soil and water, fire prevention and protection of endangered plants and animals in the valley;
March 24, 8 a.m. to discuss safety of residents while transporting ammunition, the feasibility of conducting company-level live-fire training at another site and clearing unexploded ordnance on the range;
March 25, 3 p.m. to discuss cultural issues, including access for Native Hawaiians to Makua Valley’s cultural sites. |
About 100 residents welcomed Army representatives to the meeting at the Wai‘anae Recreation Center.
Brig. Gen. Karl Eikenberry told those in attendance that the Army has been working hard to address community concerns about use of the valley.
The Army is at work on a revamped environmental assessment of its Makua Valley activities. That reporting technique is often less extensive, less time-consuming — and less expensive — than an environmental impact statement.
The general reviewed 14 points of concern identified by the Army that will be included in a supplemental environmental assessment.
But speaker after speaker rejected the Army’s position, insisting that the assessment, even with its 14 points, is incomplete.
"Why are you doing an assessment and not the impact statement?" asked Kathy Reynolds of Malama Makua. "All of your points would be answered if you just did the EIS. You are trying to reinvent the wheel. Do the EIS and you won’t have to do all this other fancy, schmancy tap-dancing around."
Residents said completing an impact statement would establish trust between the Army and the community and show the service has nothing to hide.
In December, the Army released an environmental assessment and subsequently issued a finding of no significant impact on Makua Valley that drew harsh criticism.
Last month, the Army said it would reconsider the assessment and has been holding public meetings on the subject. Nearly 500 people gathered Jan. 27 to discuss the initial assessment. The Army drew up its 14 points for further study primarily from that meeting.
The Army is now reviewing a supplemental environmental assessment of Makua Valley. After its findings are published, the document will be subject to a 30-day public comment period.
The Army has not trained in Makua for more than two years, said Eikenberry, assistant division commander (support), 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army Hawai‘i, and the readiness of soldiers at Schofield Barracks has deteriorated in the interim.
"We don’t have soldiers coming home in a coffin and then see a hand come out of the grave saying, ‘Why wasn’t I training properly?,’ " Eikenberry said.
Former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Frenchy DeSoto responded, saying, "No. The question is why you sent them there to die. That has happened."
DeSoto said the Army’s planned focus groups set to begin next week are too rushed. DeSoto also charged that splitting consideration of the 14 issues among three groups is an attempt to divide the community.
"In 1941, there was a population of 2,500 on the Wai‘anae Coast, and now there are 40,000," DeSoto said. "Can we still justify the use and constant abuse of Makua? We have a responsibility to the future.
All the issues are important, but the meetings should be held on weekends for people that have to work."
Eikenberry said the meetings need to be held quickly to meet a May 15 deadline to detail plans for Makua, imposed on the Army by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.
After four hours of talks, a compromise was reached. Focus groups planned for tomorrow, Wednesday and March 19 have been cancelled, and discussion groups on specific issues will start next Sunday.
The Army has also agreed to explain why it is conducting an environmental assessment rather than doing an impact statement at the first meeting.
Eikenberry said the Army will also continue meetings with community groups including Malama Makua, the Wai‘anae Military Civilian Advisory Council, the Ukanipo Advisory Council, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Leeward Rotary, the American Legion and the Lions Club.
Yesterday’s meeting was called by community residents rather than scheduled by the Army. William Aila, moderator for the event, said the meeting was held to allow the Army a chance to present plans for the next discussions and for residents to agree on how to proceed.
Aila said the community must be assertive in dealing with Makua Valley use because it is a culturally important site.
"I’m happy that the Army is finally seeing that by dictating, they won’t get their way and they are alienating the rest of the community," Aila said. "We need consensus-building on what the issues are and how we are going to decide them."
Eikenberry said Maj. Gen. James M. Dubik, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army Hawai‘i, will make the final decision on training at Makua after all concerns have been carefully considered, addressed and, where possible, remedied.
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