Makua issue unsettled
By Karen Blakeman and James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writers
The last of a series of meetings on the Army's live-fire training exercises in Makua Valley ended last night in frustration, at least on the part of the civilian participants.
"We're all frustrated," William Aila told one agitated speaker as Aila tried to bring the four-hour meeting to a close. "No one in this room is happy."
Nearly 50 people attended the third public focus meeting at the Wai'anae District Park Multi-Purpose Center.
Discussion was lively and mostly polite, but the military and civilian participants remain divided on the issues surrounding the valley.
"It appears to me that we don't have enough information about what is in the 'aina," said Frenchy DeSoto, former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, near the beginning of the meeting. "We need more investigation."
She and others in the room said they think an environmental impact statement — a more complete assessment of the cultural and environmental effect the military has had on the Makua Valley training grounds — is in order before the Army resumes training.
Such an assessment is likely to be time-consuming and to thwart the military goal of resuming training in the near future.
"The bottom line,'' said Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Edward L. Correa, adjutant general of Hawai'i, "is that a solder needs training. And a key part of that training is company live fire."
Makua, said Maj. Cynthia Teramae, is the only area on O'ahu large enough to provide that type of training.
Now that the meetings are completed, the Army will decide whether it will publish a new environmental assessment with information gathered from the public meetings or do a complete environmental impact statement requested by members of the community.
Maj. Gen. James M. Dubik, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army Hawai'i, will make the final decision, said Brig. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, assistant division commander (support), 25th Infantry Division.
"Our priority is to maintain combat readiness of the 25th Infantry Division while balancing our obligations to maintain the environment and ecosystem of our training grounds and address community concerns about safety and cultural heritage," Eikenberry said.
The Army has said repeatedly that only an assessment is needed to address residents' concerns about using Makua Valley for live-fire training, but residents have said the Army just does not understand the significance of the valley to Hawaiians. Military training of any kind in the valley is inappropriate, they say.
An assessment is less expensive and less time consuming, but also not nearly as complete as an EIS.
Residents say they want to be sure of the effects years of training have had on the valley and will not be happy until the EIS is done.
"They said the same things over and over. They presented no new evidence, no new information," Aila said during the series of meetings. "If they can come up with reason why they can't do an EIS, then we can understand.
"We need to know because we are going to be the guys to take care of the place after they leave. I don't say that as a PR thing. I say that because it is a commitment that my family and other people have made."
In December, the Army released an environmental assessment and subsequently issued a finding of no significant impact on Makua Valley that drew harsh criticism.
In February, 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 14 points of pubic concerns for further study.
