Posted on: Sunday, May 25, 2003

EDITORIAL
Military doesn't need environment end run

The military in Hawai'i has in recent years done a commendable job as steward of environmentally sensitive lands under its control.

In some cases, such as Makua Valley, we've questioned whether the state would be able to do as well, if federal control were to end.

But the Bush administration has sought to use the sense of emergency in the war on terror and on Iraq as an excuse to bypass the environmental laws that encourage such stewardship.

We readily agree that these laws complicate efforts to put adequately trained troops in the field. But it's pretty clear that the preparedness of the troops who conquered Iraq in a matter of weeks was not found wanting.

Because the military exemption from environmental laws was wrapped up in a military appropriations bill, members of Congress faced a Hobson's choice in voting the entire measure up or down.

Giving priority to the spending that will come Hawai'i's way, Sens. Daniel Akaka and Dan Inouye and Rep. Neil Abercrombie chose to vote in favor of the versions in their respective houses.

But we respect Rep. Ed Case's decision to vote against the House measure, accusing the Pentagon of getting "greedy" in seizing on the nation's sense of emergency "to avoid compliance with some of the most foresighted laws of the last decades."

In the considerable horse trading as the two houses reconcile their bills in conference committee, we hope to see this unwise environmental end run eliminated.