Island Voices
Army call on Makua training was right

By Jack R. Carreiro
Executive vice president, Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i and Hawai'i's business community strongly support the Army's decision to resume training exercises at Makua Valley.

The Army has taken extensive action to ensure training exercises will cause no significant environmental impact in the area, and has painstakingly endeavored to listen to the concerns of the people of the Wai'anae Coast at numerous forums.

The Army based its decision on a comprehensive environmental assessment, including information provided by the State Historical Preservation Office, U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health.

The comprehensive and scientifically objective assessment concludes that there will be no significant impact as a result of resumption of training exercises at Makua.

The Army is taking proactive measures to protect the environment of Makua, including the establishment of soil and water testing and monitoring sites in partnership with the EPA and the state Department of Health; increasing access to cultural sites in Makua Valley; and creating a protocols advisory council.

The Army is required to be fully prepared for any conflict the nation may ask it to resolve. The only location in Hawai'i available for the kind of training required to maintain a state of readiness is Makua. There are no other viable alternatives.

The consequences of any erosion of readiness are unacceptable. We are not willing to have American soldiers go into battle unprepared; the result would be the unacceptable and avoidable loss of American lives. The Army has no alternative but to resume training in Makua now.

The lawsuit brought by EarthJustice and Malama Makua to compel the Army to conduct an environmental impact statement, currently in abeyance, should not be allowed to proceed. The environmental assessment is conclusive in its findings that training exercises will have no significant impact on Makua.

Not only is an EIS unnecessary, but it would also delay training for years, further eroding the Army's readiness and creating needless risks for soldiers. An EIS would also unnecessarily expend millions of taxpayer dollars.

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i encourages the concerned citizens of Hawai'i to support the Army's decision.