Category: Local Campaigns

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Opposition to MV-22 Ospreys grows

Photo: Walter Ritte

From different sectors of the community there is growing opposition to the proposed stationing of MV-22 Osprey and Cobra attack helicopters at Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay and their plans to train across the islands.

Molokai residents are mobilizing against the Marine Corps proposal to station Ospreys tilt-rotor aircraft and Cobra helicopters in Hawaiʻi. The proposed plan would include flight training and landing on most of the islands, including Hoʻolehua and Kalaupapa on Molokai.  In the photo above, a kuahu (shrine) was built in Hoʻolehua as a protest against the military expansion.

The Marines have been engaged in a process to consult with Native Hawaiian individuals and entities to establish a programmatic agreement for the treatment of cultural sites and artifacts under Sec. 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. But the process has been extremely frustrating to the Native Hawaiian participants because the military is essentially ignoring the key recommendations being put forward by the cultural practitioners.  Basically the military is reserving its authority to define what is and is not culturally significant.  This is the same problem with the Army and its expansion plans in Lihuʻe (Schofield) and Pohakuloa.  The military is ignoring Native Hawaiian input, and in some cases, buying more favorable Native Hawaiian input by assembling their own Native Hawaiian group that supports the military’s plans.

A Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board member Bill Sager wrote in the Hawaii Independent:

Without exception at all official EIS review meetings, Windward Neighborhood Board meetings and spontaneous community meetings, fears have been expressed concerning the impacts of the proposal on Koolaupoko.

People have expressed concerns ranging from the increased noise, impacts of noise on student learning, potential dangers posed by the safety record of the Osprey and the impacts of added personnel requiring housing in the Kailua and Kaneohe communities. Hawaiian groups have expressed concern over the impact of construction activities on graves and other cultural features.

Because noise has been the overriding community concern, aircraft noise and it’s impacts on our community is the focus of this statement. The bottom line is that the noise models used in the EIS are flawed and our community will not be able to evaluate noise impacts until we actually hear them.

[. . .]

·       The model used to determine noise levels did not have mountains in model at end of takeoff end of runway. We know from experience that the cliffs surrounding Kaneohe reflect, echo and amplify aircraft noise.

·      The model used 737-700 when the P8A(replacement for P3) produces approximately 10 times more noise when using a short takeoff runway.  http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mma/

·       What is the dBAs for 737-800 during a full power brake release take off?  I have read in a Boeing briefing that at break release the noise level at 8.9nm is around 85dbs. This does not match the numbers in the final EIS, Annex D.

·       Believe the dbBA numbers have been average over 24hours which will give MUCH lower readings. Therefore, the numbers for schools might look ok but as the studies show average over ONE HOUR!  What is important is not the average noise, but it is the peak noise generated during landings and takeoffs.

The length of runway at Kaneohe Marine Base will required the P8A to use full military power to take off.  Source is article from Whidbey Island, WA were an elected official, Angie Homola is quoted.  Her website is:  https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/Page.aspx?cid=898

·       King Intermediate School and 4 other schools are close to being at end of runway.  http://public-schools.findthebest.com

NOISE LEVEL EFFECT ON CHILDREN   Annex D.3.7 covers school effects on children in schools.

·       The following is quoted from Annex D.3.7.1,  Effects on Learning and Cognitive Abilities.   “The ANSI acoustical performance criteria for schools include the requirement that the one-hour-average background noise levels shall not exceed 35dBA in core learning spaces smaller than 20,000 cubic-feet and 40dBA in core learning spaces with enclosed volumes exceeding 20, 000 cubic-feet.  This would require schools be constructed such that, in quiet neighborhoods indoor noise levels are lowered by 15 to 20 dBA relative to outdoor levels.  In schools near airports, indoor noise would have to be lowered by 35 to 45 dBA relative to outdoor levels(ANSI 2002).”

Paragraph 6 of Annex D.3.7.1    “ Similar, a 1994 study found that students exposed to aircraft noise of approximately 76 dBA scored 20% lower on recall ability tests than students exposed to ambient noise of 42-44 dBA(Hygge 1994).  “The Haines and Stansfeld study indicated that there may be some long-term effects associated with exposure, as one-year follow-up testing still demonstrated lowered scores for children in higher noise schools(Haines, et al. 2001a and 2001b).

Representative Cynthia Thielen (R) has been working with constituents from the Kāneʻohe area to oppose the Osprey.  She submitted comments on the Marine Corps environmental impact statement (EIS) that were critical of the noise studies. Her comments can be viewed here:  Rep Thielen comments on Navy FEIS 7 10 12

 

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RIMPAC invasion in Kaneʻohe Bay

The RIMPAC exercises in Hawaiʻi continue with LCAC hovercraft invading the Ahu o Laka (the Kāneʻohe Bay sandbar).  As Hawaii News Now reports, “Residents concerned over military vessels near Kaneohe Sandbar “ (July 16, 2012) the unannounced appearance of these craft have stirred concern from residents and recreational users about impacts to the environment.  Their concerns are not unwarranted; in 2009 a Marine Corps amphibious assault craft sank on the reef in Waimānalo.  There were reports that coral reef was damaged and that fuel leaked out, but the public has not gotten a final report on the environmental damage caused by the stranding. Waimānalo divers report that the reef is broken due to years of military activity in the area.

Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL

 

Military helicopters and planes flew overhead while three huge hovercraft type vessels parked near the Kaneohe Sandbar all morning.  When they moved the gas turbine engines stirred up water and sand.

“Those engines are super powerful, super loud,” said Andrew Fine, who works for Kaneohe Bay Ocean Sports (KBOS), which takes visitors out to the Sandbar.

Today the employees and visitors got an up close look at the military vessels. KBOS employees say they have no doubt the military vessels were affecting the ocean floor.

“This is all home to us, this is our front yard and I do take it quite personally when people come and destroy it,” said Fine.  “Octopus, tako and all different kinds of creatures living down there and it’s just ruining all their homes for sure.”

“You’re supposed to stay in navigable waters but these guys just going right out there over the coral,” said Peter Field, windward Oahu resident.

Former state lawmaker Melody Aduja saw the hovercrafts early this morning from her shoreline home.

“Here when you’re dealing with a craft of that magnitude it’s hard to say they are not damaging the Bay because they are definitely churning up the habitat and the environment,” said Aduja.  “Any type of unusual conduct such as that is going to have some kind of adverse affect on the environment.”

The offending craft are called Landing Craft Air Cushion or LCAC:

They are 88 feet long and 47 feet wide.  They carry a 75 ton load and have a displacement of up to 182 tons fully loaded.  The LCACs are so large they can transport several vehicles or tanks.

The Marines used the LCACs to drop of amphibious vehicles near Kuau on the Mōkapu peninsula (Kaneohe Marine Base).  They needed a place to park and wait.

The Marine Corps public affairs statement did not jibe with the visual evidence:

“Two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCACs) were anchored this afternoon adjacent to Kapapa Island by the Sampan Channel awaiting recovery of two amphibious vehicles from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to the USS Essex.  The LCACs were confirmed by MCB Hawaii personnel to be anchored, in accordance with law, in navigable water, with engines off, in a location as to mitigate interference with commercial and recreational activities,” said 1st Lt. Diann Olson, Public Affairs Officer with the Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

However our video shows three LCACs parked next to back edge of the Sandbar while civilians walked on the front edge of the Sandbar.

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RIMPAC Protest and Invasive ‘Lily-Pads’

Today Malu Aina organized a demonstration at Pohakuloa against the RIMPAC military exercises. Jim Albertini reports:

Our group of about thirty set up along Saddle Rd. opposite the main gate and represented all parts of the island.  We had people from Hilo, Kona, Waimea and and even Na’alehu, that included old time Kaho’olawe “Stop the Bombing” activists, and some young Hawaiian activists picking up the torch of “Aloha ‘Aina.”  We even had members of the Ka Pele family who some years back led a peace gathering to pule and build an ahu at Pu’u Ka Pele on Pohakuloa in opposition to the bombing.  Access to that ahu and pu’u has since been blocked by concrete barricades and chain linked barbed wire fence.

The ‘Red Flag” was up along Saddle Rd. as we approached the base indicating live fire.  Pohakuloa and the sacred ‘aina is coming under intense bombing this month as part of the world’s largest military exercise –RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) taking place on land and sea around Hawaii.  The every two year RIMPAC is growing larger.  This year’s assault involves 22 nations, 42 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel.

David Vine wrote “The Lily-Pad Strategy”, an important analysis of the changing military base strategy of the U.S. around the world:

Disappearing are the days when Ramstein was the signature U.S. base, an American-town-sized behemoth filled with thousands or tens of thousands of Americans, PXs, Pizza Huts, and other amenities of home. But don’t for a second think that the Pentagon is packing up, downsizing its global mission, and heading home. In fact, based on developments in recent years, the opposite may be true. While the collection of Cold War-era giant bases around the world is shrinking, the global infrastructure of bases overseas has exploded in size and scope.

Unknown to most Americans, Washington’s garrisoning of the planet is on the rise, thanks to a new generation of bases the military calls “lily pads” (as in a frog jumping across a pond toward its prey). These are small, secretive, inaccessible facilities with limited numbers of troops, spartan amenities, and prepositioned weaponry and supplies.

And as Vine reminds us:

Like real lily pads — which are actually aquatic weeds — bases have a way of growing and reproducing uncontrollably.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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Depleted Uranium at Schofield and Pohakuloa – Army chafes at NRC regulations

In 2005, DMZ-Hawaiʻi / Aloha ʻAina first exposed the fact that, despite Army assurances that depleted uranium was not used in Hawaiʻi, in fact, depleted uranium (DU) had been found at Schofield Barracks on Oʻahu. Since then, the Army has tried to dismiss the problem. In order to not run afoul of nuclear regulatory laws, the Army applied for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to “possess” DU at several ranges, including Schofield and Pohakuloa in Hawaiʻi.   Several activists petitioned to intervene in the proceedings, but were denied standing. However, the regulatory conference calls are open to the public.  It seems that the Army has been trying to skirt the NRC regulations.  After receiving the license to “possess” DU in Schofield, the Army decided to start doing grubbing and construction in a contaminated area.  The NRC told the Army to stop because their permit did not allow for such a “removal” action.   There was recently a conference call on this matter. Thanks to Cory Harden from Sierra Club Moku Loa chapter who shared her unofficial notes from that call, which, by the way, are quite revealing of the Army’s dismissive attitude to the health risks as well as their disrespect to the NRC regulators.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 7-12-12 TELEPHONE CONFERENCE

ON HAWAIʻI DEPLETED URANIUM (DU)

BETWEEN NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) AND ARMY

Caveat—there may be inaccuracies—this is my best understanding of a technical discussion—Cory

Testy exchanges punctuated the conversation.

  • The Army said onerous NRC restrictions put soldiers at “unnecessary and unacceptable risk” by impacting training and NRC has “virtual control of Army training ranges…” NRC countered by asking what specific conditions in the license will impact training and how NRC’s “statuatory mandate [is] harmful to the nation.”
  • The Army said the DU response nationwide has cost $10 million so far, and ongoing costs will be $100,000 a year per Hawai’i base (Pohakuloa and Schofield). There are 15 other known DU sites in the U.S. NRC asked what percentage of the Army’s operational budget $100,000 was. The Army said they’d get back to NRC in writing.
  • NRC told the Army sharply not to “throw reports” at NRC “willy-nilly” but to tie them to relevant conclusions. NRC called for more data to back up several Army conclusions, such as little migration of DU, and no need for sampling of sediments and of ground and surface water. The Army said NRC requirements keep becoming more burdensome. NRC asked if the Army was contesting one of the license conditions. Army staff said they were not authorized to answer.

Issues covered included:

  • For now, no high-explosive munitions will be fired into DU areas. To resume firing, the Army would need to do a risk assessment (requiring another telephone conference) plus environmental monitoring.
  • NRC said there was uranium in some water samples, but the Army did not mention this to NRC. The Army said they will release a study on this soon.
  • Isaac Harp asked that air monitoring be done at Makua, where no ground surveys were done because of unexploded ordnance and thick vegetation. The Army said they have data on Makua which they will share with NRC.
  • NRC will look into whether the 2,000-pound dummy bombs dropped on Pohakuloa from high altitudes may liberate DU dust.
  • Dr. Cherry of the Army said they will do their best to check for DU in exploratory water wells planned for Pohakuloa.
  • The Army agreed it was inappropriate when a DU air sampling study at Schofield included ash and soil in one sample.
  • The Army wishes to delay issuance of the license until the end of August so it can address issues raised by NRC.
  • It is possible to challenge the license after it is issued, but the license would not be changed unless the challenge succeeded.
  • NRC is looking into ways to make information on the license and ongoing reports more easily available to the public.

Dr. Cherry of the Army said:

  • the Atomic Energy Commission (precursor to NRC) and NRC had numerous opportunities, such as license renewals, over the course of 50 years, to offer guidance to the Army on controls for DU spotting rounds, but never offered any guidance.
  • A May 10, 2011 document (I didn’t catch the author) said the spotting rounds were not believed to pose a health hazard and they could be left on the ranges. So the Army may have had no obligation to inform NRC of the 2005 discovery, but did so anyway.
  • All studies indicate no health hazards, low probability of migration, and harmless radiation levels.

Cory Harden

PO Box 10265

Hilo, Occupied Hawai’i 96721

mh@interpac.net

 

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Kauaʻi Surfrider Foundation to launch RIMPAC watch

The Garden Island reported that the Kauaʻi Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is launching a RIMPAC watch June 29 through August 7:

The Kaua’i chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is asking the public for help monitoring environmental impacts during the Navy’s RIMPAC event that starts this week.

[. . .]

More than 40 ships, six submarines, 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are scheduled to participate in the training exercises, which will include the use of sonar,  explosions and other potentially harmful activities, according to Surfrider.

“With that many ships out there, the possibility of something happening is really high,” said Kaua‘i Surfrider Chair Dr. Carl Berg. “We want people to be the eyes and ears for the marine environment and report anything unusual or questionable while these intensive military operations are under way.”

Any unusual behavior by marine mammals should be reported to the NOAA stranding hotline at 1-888-256-9840.

If people see anything questionable, they are asked to call Dr. Gordon LaBedz of Surfrider at 337-9977. Information can also be posted on the Kaua‘i Surfrider’s Facebook page, or emailed to surfriderkauai@gmail.com. Photographs and video are especially useful, according to a Surfrider press release.

Surfrider is attempting to document harmful interactions as part of the Environmental Impact Statement process currently under way. The Navy is preparing an EIS for possible expansion of training activities, including greater use of sonar, in waters off Hawai‘i and California.

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E Ola Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa: Kanaka Maoli speak on Puʻuloa / Pearl Harbor

Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice presents: 

Kanaka Maoli speak on Puʻuloa

DATE: June 19, 2012

TIME: 6:00-8:00pm

LOCATION: Center for Hawaiian Studies, UH Manoa Classroom 202, 2645 Dole Street

COST: free

WHAT:

Kanaka Maoli panelists will present historical, cultural, environmental and social significance of Ke Awa Lau o Pu’uloa (Pearl Harbor) and engage in a dialogue about its past, present and future.

This presentation is sponsored by the Hawaii Council for the Humanities through a grant to Hawaii Peace and Justice. Our presenters, Dr. Jon Osorio, Dr. Leilani Basham, Andre Perez and Koa Luke will tell the “hidden” histories of Pearl Harbor, from the mo’olelo of its ancient past and sacred sites to its present uses. Pearl Harbor is a site of great historical importance to Hawai’i, the U.S. and the world, but the discourse is unbalanced and incomplete. Most people know only of Pearl Harbor and the Japanese attack and World War II. This is an opportunity to unearth its Hawaiian past and open doors for its future.

WHO:

  • Dr. Leilani Basham, assistant professor, West Oahu University – Hawaiian Pacific Studies will share her research regarding old place names and stories.
  • Dr. Jonathan Osorio, professor in Manoa’s Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge will be presenting a Kanaka Maoli historian point of view from a paper he published entitled Memorializing Pu’uloa and Remembering Pearl Harbor.
  • Andre Perez, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner and community activist/organizer. Andre will present work being done at Hanakehau Learning Farm (off shore of Pu’uloa) showing how Hawaiians today can take grassroots approaches to reclaim and restore lands impacted by militarism and industrialization, creating a space where Hawaiians can come to teach, learn and reconnect with the ‘aina and engage in Hawaiian traditions and practices. Andre will explain how these types of efforts are building blocks towards a Hawaiian consciousness of self-determinations and sovereignty.
  • Koa Luke: University of Hawaii Library Science graduate student. Koa will talk about his ohana’s history and experience growing up in Waiawa, an ahupua’a of Ke Awa Lau o Pu’uloa.

http://www.wp.hawaiipeaceandjustice.org/2012/06/16/kanaka-maoli-speak-on-puuloa/

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Fortress Oahu: “Some people get paid, but who’s paying the price”

Joan Conrow wrote a feature story in the Honolulu Weekly critically examining the military’s impacts in Hawai’i. Here’s a snippet:

Fortress Oahu

by Joan Conrow | May 23, 2012

Cover

Cover image for May 23, 2012

With roots planted in the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and a presence that extends through the entire archipelago, the military’s influence in Hawaii is surpassed only by tourism.

The military controls some 236,000 acres throughout the state, including 25 percent of the land mass of Oahu, and thousands of square miles of surrounding airspace and sea. Yet as a branch of the federal government, the Department of Defense (DoD) operates in the Islands with little public oversight and virtual impunity, except when national environmental laws come into play.

Notwithstanding, it’s burned up native forests, dumped hazardous materials into the ocean and killed protected native species. It’s rendered land unusable with its unexploded ordinance, disrupted neighborhoods with its noise, dropped nearly every bomb known to man on the island of Kahoolawe. It’s unearthed ancient burials, launched rockets from sacred dunes, shut off public access mauka and makai. And in the course of a century, it’s transformed Waimomi, once the food basket for Oahu, into Pearl Harbor, a giant Superfund complex comprising at least 749 contaminated sites.

So why do our people, and politicians, allow the militarly to stay, aside from the fact that it is well-armed and deeply entrenched here?

Money is the answer most often given. DoD expenditures in Hawaii totaled some $6.5 billion in 2009 — about 9 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

“Yes, some people get paid, but who’s paying the price of that?” counters Kyle Kajihiro of Hawaii Peace and Justice, a non-profit organization. “There are losers in this, and unfortunately, it’s often native people,” he adds, citing damage to ecology and cultural sites, and Hawaii’s being perceived as “am accessory to the militarization that extends from our shores.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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64 Drone Bases in the U.S., including two in Hawai’i

Public Intelligence produced an interactive map and table of known U.S. drone bases within the U.S.  Hawai’i is listed as having two such bases: Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay has the Raven drone.  Wheeler Army Airfield has the Shadow.

Wired magainze reported “Revealed: 64 Drone Bases on American Soil” (June 13, 2012)

We like to think of the drone war as something far away, fought in the deserts of Yemen or the mountains of Afghanistan. But we now know it’s closer than we thought. There are 64 drone bases on American soil. That includes 12 locations housing Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be armed.

One concern raised is the use of drones on U.S. domestic populations:

The possibility of military drones (as well as those controlled by police departments and universities) flying over American skies have raised concerns among privacy activists. As the American Civil Liberties Union explained in its December 2011 report, the machines potentially could be used to spy on American citizens. The drones’ presence in our skies “threatens to eradicate existing practical limits on aerial monitoring and allow for pervasive surveillance, police fishing expeditions, and abusive use of these tools in a way that could eventually eliminate the privacy Americans have traditionally enjoyed in their movements and activities.”

As Danger Room reported last month, even military drones, which are prohibited from spying on Americans, may “accidentally” conduct such surveillance — and keep the data for months afterwards while they figure out what to do with it. The material they collect without a warrant, as scholar Steven Aftergood revealed, could then be used to open an investigation.

As with Osprey accidents that were discussed in a previous post, another danger of drones may be the number of accidents.  Nick Turse has compiled interesting information about drone accidents here and here. Just this week, Wired reported, “Navy Loses Giant Drone in Maryland Crash” (June 11, 2012):

The Navy was all set to roll out its upgraded spy drone, a 44-foot behemoth. Then one of its Global Hawks crashed into an eastern Maryland marsh on Monday. It’s the latest setback for the Navy’s robotic aircraft.

An unarmed RQ-4A Global Hawk went down during a training exercise near the Naval aviation base at Patuxent River, Maryland on Monday, CNN reports. Local news has footage of the wreckage. No one was hurt except the Navy’s pride.

Thanks to Jon Letman for sharing some of these links.

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Oppose expanded sonar training in Hawaiian waters

The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports “Navy seeks input on its plan for sonar use” (June 10, 2012).  The navy has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for training and testing with sonar in Hawai’i and Southern California. The DEIS includes new projections that the sonar could cause more harm to marine mammals than previously thought:

The Navy acknowledges that its proposed test and training plan for sonar and explosives in Hawaii and California waters might unintentionally cause more than 1,600 instances of hearing loss and other injuries to marine mammals yearly.

[. . .]

Meetings are scheduled starting Tuesday on Kauai to allow the public to comment on the draft EIS for the proposed Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing plan, which covers the north-central Pacific area where the Navy testing and training would take place through 2019.

The environmental group National Resources Defense Council says the Navy’s new plan fails to adequately identify and assess alternatives, including ways to reduce the effects of explosives and sonar on marine mammals.

http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/20120610_navy.jpg

Navy spokesperson Matt Matsunaga is turning on the spin cycle:  the sonar being a necessary risk to fight terrorists and nations with submarines; sonar testing having been done in Hawai’i for decades;  and the navy has adequate mitigation measures.  He  even claims: “The fact is that sonar has not been linked to marine mammal deaths in Hawaii in the past and we don’t expect any in the future.”

I guess he disputes the 2008  beaked whale stranding on Molokai was caused by RIMPAC:

An environmental group is pointing a finger at sonar and the Navy’s Rim of the Pacific exercises in the stranding and death of a 15-foot Cuvier’s beaked whale Monday on Moloka’i, but the National Marine Fisheries Service said it doesn’t yet know what caused the juvenile male animal to enter the shallow water.

U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Mark Matsunaga, meanwhile, said it’s “premature, speculative and irresponsible to link naval activities to this stranding.”

[. . .]
The environmental law firm Earthjustice said the stranding came as the Navy conducted its multinational Rimpac exercise in Hawai’i waters.

Or maybe he forgot about the 2004 melon headed whale stranding in Hanalei during RIMPAC exercises:

The Navy has acknowledged that sonar was used in the hours before a pod of deep-water whales swam into Hanalei Bay. New information calls into question the Navy’s contention that the use of sonar during maneuvers off Kauai had nothing to do with driving a large pod of deep-water whales into Hanalei Bay during the Fourth of July weekend.

The information further validates a collection of evidence, which the Navy dismisses, that sonar presents a danger to marine life and buttresses arguments for some restraints.

About 200 melon-headed whales alarmed residents and marine biologists they were spotted in the bay about 7:30 a.m. July 3, swimming in a tight circle about 100 feet from the beach. These whales normally stay at least 15 miles off shore. Specialists and volunteers managed to herd the whales out to sea, but a newborn calf became separated from the pod and eventually died of starvation.

At the time, Rim of the Pacific naval exercises were being conducted about 20 miles northwest of Kauai, but Navy officials said no sonar had been used before the whales were seen in the bay. A spokesman told the Star-Bulletin that active sonar-tracking simulations had not begun until 8 a.m. while another told the Washington Post the exercises began at 8:30 a.m.

In the Garden Island reported that although NOAA could not reach a conclusive explanation for the 2004 stranding,:

“the active sonar transmissions” during that time were “a plausible, if not likely, contributing factor.”

“For them to come into the bay is definitely unusual behavior,” said Pacific Missile Range Facility spokesman Tom Clements.

[. . .]

There has been no evidence of any stranding taking place during RIMPAC’s month-long exercises of 2006 and 2008, Clements added.

Marine mammals — who use sound to communicate, travel and discover food — have attempted to avoid sonar in the past, according to NOAA documents. Four mass strandings — Greece in 1996, Bahamas in 2000, Madeira in 2000 and Canary Islands in 2002 — involved beaked whales (similar to melon-headed whales) and NOAA identified the “most likely” cause as “active military sonar.”

The Navy is holding hearings on the Draft EIS.  The Kaua’i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice distributed leaflets at the hearing.   Malu ‘Aina on Hawai’i island issued the following call to protest at the hearing on Thursday:

Malu Aina Center for non-violent education and action

Protest Navy War Plans!

On Thursday 6/14 from 5-8 PM representatives of the Navy will appear in Hilo to promote their Expansion Plan for war preparation exercises in the eastern Pacific and around Hawaii . While the topic is an EIS addressing potential harm to marine mammals, many see an opportunity to address U.S. war plans in a broader perspective, including the increasing use of Navy Seal Special Operation assassination squads and killer drones. Who are the real winners and losers in US military power projection in the Pacific basin and globally? Don’t be deceived that U.S. military power is about protecting “freedom and democracy/” It’s all about geopolitical control of oil and other resources to insure record corporate profits.

A demonstration with signs will be held from 4-5 pm, prior to the 5pm event start, and the attached flyer will be handed out. Anyone who wishes can participate. Bring a sign if you want but we will have plenty. We will be in front of the downtown Hilo Federal Bldg/Post Office, across Kalakaua Park from the meeting venue at the East Hawaii Cultural Center, 141 Kalakaua St.

A special thanks to friends on Kauai who did a similar protest and prepared the flyer.

Please pass the word on the Hilo protest. I encourage people to go to the Navy event and register your protest of U.S. war Plans. Give input in any way you see fit, i.e. how the money could be put to better use putting solar power on peoples homes, etc. Mahalo.

Jim

 

PS flyer attached—flyer


Navy Invites Public in Hawaii, San Diego to Open-House Meetings on Draft EIS

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Damon

The U.S. Navy encourages the public to attend open-house public meetings in Hawaii June 12-15 and on June 20 in San Diego to learn about and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) for Navy training and testing activities in the Hawaii-Southern California Study Area.

The HSTT Draft EIS/OEIS takes a comprehensive look at the effects of Navy training and testing on the ocean environment in Hawaii and Southern California, incorporating the latest science. Four open house public meetings will be held in Hawaii and one in San Diego, Calif., to inform the public about the Navy’s Proposed Action and to obtain comments on the Proposed Action and alternatives, and the accuracy and adequacy of the Draft EIS/OEIS analysis. The public may arrive at any time during the open house public meetings.

There will not be a formal presentation; however, Navy representatives will be available to provide information and answer questions about the Proposed Action and Draft EIS/OEIS. The open house public meetings will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at:

Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Location: Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria
4319 Hardy St.
Lihue, HI 96766

Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Location: Maui Waena Intermediate School Cafeteria
795 Onehee Ave.
Kahului, HI 96732

Date: Thursday, June 14, 2012
Location: East Hawaii Cultural Center
141 Kalakaua St. Hilo, HI 96720

Date: Friday, June 15, 2012
Location: McKinley High School Cafeteria
1039 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI 96814

Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Location: Marina Village Conference Center Starboard Room
1936 Quivira Way
San Diego, CA 92109

The Navy proposes to conduct training and testing activities primarily within existing range complexes and operating areas located in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands and off the coast of Southern California, Navy pierside locations in both areas and a transit corridor connecting the Hawaii and Southern California range complexes. The Proposed Action includes the use of active sonar and explosives. The HSTT Draft EIS/OEIS updates the science and analyses needed to continue critical Navy training and testing in the Study Area. The Draft EIS/OEIS combines multiple previous studies into one, thereby incorporating expanded areas and new science, platforms and activities.

Copies of the Draft EIS/OEIS are available to the public at www.HSTTEIS.com and at the following information repositories:

HAWAII

. Lihue Public Library, 4344 Hardy St., Lihue, HI 96766
. Kailua-Kona Public Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
. Wailuku Public Library, 251 High St., Wailuku, HI 96793
. Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720
. Hawaii State Library, Hawaii and Pacific Section, 478 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813

CALIFORNIA

. San Diego Central Library, 820 E. St., San Diego, CA 92101
. Long Beach Main Library, 101 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, CA 90822

The Navy is accepting comments throughout the 60-day public comment period, from May 11, 2012, to July 10, 2012. All comments must be postmarked or received online by July 10, 2012, for consideration in the Final EIS/OEIS.

Written comments may be submitted via the project website at www.HSTTEIS.com, in person at the public meetings or by mail to:

Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest
Attention: HSTT EIS/OEIS Project Manager – EV21.CS
1220 Pacific Highway, Building 1, Floor 3
San Diego, CA 92132-5190

 

Visit the project website at www.HSTTEIS.com to learn more about the project.

 

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Osprey crashes, Japanese city rejects Osprey, and Marines want to bring Osprey to Hawai’i?

The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported that”Marines’ copter plan raises fear of noise” (June 12, 2012):

The public has nearly a month to weigh in on Marine Corps plans to station MV-22 tiltrotor Osprey and H-1 Cobra and Huey attack-utility helicopter squadrons at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, but any community opposition likely will boil down to a single topic, according to the secretary of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board.

“In one word,” said Bill Sager, “it’s the noise.”

[. . .]

“Several people have expressed concerns to me,” he said.

While the Marines opened a 30-day comment period on their proposals last week, “People will have no way of evaluating the noise impact of an Osprey until they actually hear it,” Sager said.

It seems a  major concern for us in Hawai’i ought to be safety.   Today, an CV-22 Osprey crashed in Florida, injuring five: 

An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashed Wednesday during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five crew members aboard, a military official said.

In April two U.S. troops died in an Osprey crash in Morocco.   Last March, a Marine pilot died and radioactive strontium 90 was released into Kane’ohe Bay when helicopter crashed on Ahu o Laka sandbar in the bay.

Okinawans have been strongly opposing the stationing of Osprey aircraft.  The city of Iwakuni on the main island of Honshu was proposed as a temporary base for the Osprey until facilities were available in Okinawa.  However, Japan Today reports that “Iwakuni balks at U.S. deployment of Osprey aircraft” (June 13, 2012):

Safety concerns after a recent crash have put plans to briefly deploy the U.S. Osprey aircraft to a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture on hold, officials said Tuesday.

Opposition to the plan to temporarily base the helicopter-like planes in the city of Iwakuni has been rising since the fatal crash in April left two Marines dead in Morocco.

Japan’s defense minister said Tuesday he may go to the city of Iwakuni to persuade local officials to accept the temporary deployment. But after meeting with ministry officials on Monday Iwakuni’s mayor said he needs more assurances that the aircraft is safe.

The Marine Corps released a Final Environmental Impact Statement on its proposals on the basing and statewide training of Osprey tiltrotor and Cobra and Huey attack-utility helicopter squadrons.   The 30-day comment period began Friday June 8.  The proposal is to expand the Marine Corps in Hawai’i :

  • 24 MV-22 Osprey aircraft
  • 18 AH-1Z Viper Super Cobra helicopters
  • 9 UH-1Y Huey helicopters
  • 1,000 Military personnel
  • 1,106 Family members

The Marine Corps helicopter Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed at:

  • Written comments on the EIS must be postmarked or received online by July 11 to become part of the official rec ord.
  • Comments can be made online by selecting the “contact” tab at www.mcbh.usmc.mil/mv22h1eis/ index.html or by mail to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100 Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134 Attn: EV21, MV-22/H-1 EIS Project Manager

 

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