Diamond Head to be rid of lead from firing ranges
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
The federal government will spend $3.4 million to remove lead from Diamond Head Crater left from military firing ranges that operated for three decades in one of Hawai'i's most prominent landmarks.
The project, which is scheduled to begin in August, focuses on about 13 acres of land and consists of washing about 21,000 tons of soil of lead left from rifle and pistol ammo on ranges that were built in 1932 and used until the mid-1960s.
This is another step in a long series of efforts by the state and federal governments to restore Diamond Head to its natural state. A couple of years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration, which had called Diamond Head home for 43 years, moved 100 of its employees, demolished its building and replanted the area with native plants in a $1.7 million project.
The lead-removal work comes as the Hawai'i Army National Guard prepares to move to its new home in Kalaeloa.
"The risk from lead is not there now, but there is a fine dust and nugget lead that might at some time degrade and that constitutes a risk," said Eric Wetzstein, a Honolulu consultant hired by the Hawai'i Army National Guard. "Since the land is being transferred, (back to the state) the National Guard doesn't want to leave any liability behind, so it wants to clean up the lead."
However, some wish the money could be put to better use.
Residents say the money could be used for an interpretive center in the Diamond Head monument, rather than on something that doesn't pose a risk now or in the next five years, said Sid Snyder, a member of the Diamond Head Citizens Advisory Committee.
"It does clean it up, it's just too bad the money couldn't be used to move forward with the Diamond Head Master Plan," Snyder said. "We're for the project, but we're surprised at the cost."
The committee places a higher priority on opening up the crater to more hiking trails, more tunnels, and an interpretive and educational center, Snyder said.
"We're anxious to get on with it and retain the essence of the master plan," Snyder said. "But we need the money to do it."
The Army National Guard looked at several options for cleanup. It could leave the area as is, dig it up and take it to a landfill, cover it with fresh dirt, vacuum and put the lead-contaminated soil in a landfill, or wash it and recycle the lead, Wetzstein said. To dig it up would have cost the federal government more than $9 million. Covering it would have cost about $2.5 million and still not eliminated the liability, said Wetzstein.
"The washing method is the most cost-effective to remove the toxicity," he said. "In terms of environmental stewardship, it's a good solution."
The Hawai'i Army National Guard has been in the process of moving from its Diamond Head headquarters at Fort Ruger and inside the crater for several years. When its move is complete — possibly next year — it will hand over all the facilities and land to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. During the next 10 years, the Hawai'i Army National Guard plans to spend nearly $100 million — most of it federal money — for improvements at its new Kalaeloa facility.
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
