Army to resume live-fire training in Makua Valley
Advertiser Staff
Live-fire training is expected to resume in Makua Valley tomorrow, marking the Army's fifth exercise at the Wai'anae Coast training site since settling a lawsuit with a community group in October.
The 25th Infantry Division (Light) was expected to return to the valley over the weekend in preparation for firing live ammunition tomorrow.
Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund attorney David Henkin said community group Malama Makua received notice that the Army plans six training exercises through Feb. 8. Four exercises already have been completed.
The settlement allows the Army to conduct 16 live-fire exercises in a year, followed by nine the year after that, and 12 in the third year of the agreement.
"We had been told to expect (the Army) to try and run the companies through as quickly as possible, so it's not surprising they are doing a lot of them (right away)," Henkin said. Earthjustice represented Malama Makua in its lawsuit against the Army.
The group sued to force the Army to complete a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement analysis of the effects of more than 50 years of military training in the 4,190-acre valley. As part of the settlement, the Army agreed to complete an EIS in three years.
Army officials indicated the "scoping" process to gather the public comments and concerns that will shape the EIS is expected to begin in a month or two, Henkin said, but no firm dates have been given.
The Army is required to hold at least one public hearing. Comments also will be taken in writing.
"The clock is ticking (on the three-year time frame)," Henkin said. "It's in their interest to get it started as soon as possible, and it's in our interest to get it started as soon as possible so they do an adequate job."
A break in training since November gave community members a chance to visit Makua Valley for a makahiki, or festival. In the past, the Makua Valley makahiki was a time for Hawaiians to yield the land to the god Lono.
More than 100 community members stayed overnight in the valley Dec. 14 and 15 to prepare offerings.
"In 1998, when we started this process, we were outside the gates (of Makua)," Henkin said. "Now, we're inside the gates, and we're inside the gates not only as observers to training, which is important, but more importantly, as participants to cultural activities that have been absent from the valley for generations."
