Bellows — Marine and Air Force personnel will join Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono at 9:30 a.m. Friday for a brief blessing and ceremony to mark the official start of the clean-up of a former landfill at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.

The landfill, known as LF24 is located on property previously assigned to the U.S. Air Force, then transferred to the Marine Corps in 1999. As part of the transfer process, the Air Force was required to conduct environmental investigations.

Although no contaminants exceeding Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) thresholds were found, the Marines requested funding to clean the site in order to reclaim previously unusable training area and prevent any buried refuse from unintentionally eroding into the ocean.