Briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
NAVY
Missing marine presumed dead
The USS Belleau Wood, which is in port at Pearl Harbor after a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf, lost a crew member overboard last week.
Marine Corps Cpl. Robert A. Contreras, 21, of Corona, Calif. was reported missing Dec. 1. The amphibious ship, homeported at San Diego, was en route to Hawai'i from Guam at the time.
The search for Contreras ended Wednesday with military officials presuming him dead. The rescue effort spanned 57 hours and 1,200 square miles.
Contreras' father, Sam, had been scheduled to fly to Hawai'i to meet his son, who was assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and then return with him on the Belleau Wood. He was based at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station.
The Orange County Register reported that Navy officials do not think Contreras was wearing a Man Overboard Indicator, a new device that would have alerted the ship's crew. Officials said the Belleau Wood has 250 of the devices aboard for 1,300 sailors and 1,900 Marines.
Workers donate $537,508
Pearl Harbor shipyard workers pledged charitable donations of more than a half million dollars for next year, according to final results from the 2002 Combined Federal Campaign, the Navy said.
More than 3,000 employees of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility donated $537,508 to various charities participating in the program.
Pearl Harbor facility fined
The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility has received notification of a $90,400 fine levied by the state Department of Health.
The administrative penalty was primarily for poor storage and labeling of hazardous materials and waste, including paint, oil and solvents.
Grace Simmons, who supervises the hazardous waste program for the Health Department, said the shipyard received five citations as a result of inspections in July.
The shipyard is required to remove hazardous waste within 90 days, and the Health Department said some was being stored longer than that.
Additionally, some of the waste, which is stored in hundreds of 1-gallon, 5-gallon, and 55-gallon containers, was not labeled properly, Simmons said.
In its response to the Health Department, the shipyard corrected some issues identified, and said it is resolving any other findings from the report.
MARINES
Training to run until Dec. 20
The Marine Corps' Combat Service Support Group 3 is taking part in exercise "Ryukku Express" and field training through Dec. 20 at Kane'ohe Bay and at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.
Units participating include the 68th Medical Co. out of Wheeler Army Airfield; the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines; Marine Aircraft Group 24; and 3rd Force Service Support Group out of Okinawa.
Area residents can expect noise from amphibious vehicles, trucks, aircraft, blank firing and generator use.
