Category: Hawai’i

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A partial win for Makua, but struggle far from over

Yesterday, the Army announced that it will end live fire training in Makua valley. This is a win for those who have struggled for many years to save Makua from the destructive and contaminating activities of the U.S. military. The Honolulu Star Advertiser ran a story and so did the Associated Press.

However, it is only a partial victory.

The Army continues to hold Makua hostage and plans to use the valley for other kinds of training. Furthermore, the Army is shifting the bulk of its training to Schofield in Lihu’e, O’ahu and Pohakuloa on Hawai’i island. This is consistent with the recent announcement of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for expanding or renovating training facilities at Pohakuloa.

This was never a “Not-In-My-Back-Yard” movement. Trading one ‘aina for another is not acceptable. Furthermore, it leaves unchallenged the very premise that the training is needed. Training for what purpose? To invade and occupy other countries? Inflict death and destruction in the name of Pax Americana?

The movement to protect Makua moves into a challenging phase as we now push for the cleanup and return of the land. The Army is hoping that non-live fire training will be less likely to inflame community anger. By removing a major flashpoint, the Army hopes to deflate the momentum of the movement. It is more difficult to sustain high levels of energy around the technical and tedious clean up and restoration of a site. So we must be inspired by our vision of the alternative we hope to grow in Makua.

Every gain we make in Makua owes to the thousands in Hawai’i and around the world who have come forward to malama ‘aina, speak out, protest, pray and grow the peaceful and blessed community we wish to see in the world.  The Makua movement must not forget its kuleana to the many people who have stood in solidarity with us, as we continue to stand and speak out in solidarity with others.

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110113_Army_ends_live-fire_training_at_Makua.html

Army ends live-fire training at Makua

After decades of opposition to bombing the valley, real ordnance will be used only at Schofield and Pohakuloa

By William Cole

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 13, 2011

The last company of soldiers may have stormed the hills of Makua Valley with M-4 rifles blazing, artillery whistling overhead, mortars pounding mock enemy positions and helicopters firing from above.

After battling environmentalists and Hawaiian cultural practitioners since at least the late 1980s, the Army said this week it is acceding to community concerns and no longer will use the heavy firepower in Makua that started multiple fires in the 4,190-acre Waianae Coast valley and fueled a number of lawsuits.

In place of the company Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercises, known as CALFEXes, the Army said it is moving ahead with a plan to turn Makua into a “world class” roadside-bomb and counterinsurgency training center with convoys along hillside roads, simulated explosions and multiple “villages” to replicate Afghanistan.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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Hawaii key in U.S. plans for Pacific region

As the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports, despite the Pentagon’s announced budget cuts of $78 billion, the message from the 10th annual Hawaii military partnership conference is that “Hawaii is of extreme strategic importance” to the United States because of our location in the critically important Asia Pacific region and because of the rising economic and military power of China, which the U.S. hopes to contain.

The military-business love fest was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the same organization that conspired with U.S. elites in the 19th century to obtain a Treaty of Reciprocity, which allowed the U.S. to use Ke Awalau o Pu’uloa (aka Pearl Harbor) in exchange for dropping tariffs on Hawaiian sugar imports to the U.S.  The Treaty of Reciprocity was opposed by many Hawaiian citizens because it was rightfully seen as an erosion of Hawaiian sovereignty and a threat to one of the richest food resources for the island of O’ahu.   This treaty, which could be considered a precursor to modern neoliberal trade agreements, was a key  event in the U.S. takeover of Hawai’i.   Today, Hawai’i is still hostage to the economic and military interests that engineered the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the U.S. occupation of the islands.  The Hawai’i military partnership conference and upcoming APEC summit in Honolulu only confirms this fact.

According to the Star Advertiser article, the U.S. military population in Hawai’i is approximately 110,000 (50,000 active-duty military members and 60,000 dependents), which is around 8.5 percent of the total population of Hawai’i. Large scale military-driven population transfer of Americans to Hawai’i have had major negative social and cultural impacts on Kanaka Maoli, not the least of which is the loss of self-determination.  The international community understands that the influx of settlers to an occupied territory, such as Palestine, Tibet and East Timor, constitute serious human rights problems. However the influx of American settlers in Hawai’i or Guam have not gotten the same attention.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary said “There’s no question in my mind that the importance of this region, the Asia-Pacific region and in particular Hawaii, and the vital role it will play in the future is not going to diminish.”  This means that the threat of militarization will continue or worsen for places like Korea, Okinawa, Guam and Hawai’i.  Peace and justice movements in this region will have to grow our movements and strengthen our networks within the region and with allies in the U.S.   We need to call on peace and justice movements within the U.S. to understand developments in the Asia Pacific region, and especially the importance small island bases in the expansion and maintenance of U.S. empire, and to step up their own efforts to dismantle the oppressive “empire of bases” (to borrow a phrase from the late Chalmers Johnson). Now that fiscal realities are finally forcing some in Washington to consider the taboo subject of cutting the military budget, the U.S. peace and justice movements have an opportunity to advocate for the reduction of the military troops and bases around the world.

The article also reports:

Lt. Gen. Benjamin “Randy” Mixon, head of the U.S. Army in the Pacific and headquartered at Fort Shafter, said the Army is looking at shifting Makua Valley away from its past use as an intensive live-fire training facility and bringing in “more relevant” training focused on roadside bomb detection.

Due to a lawsuit, there has been no live-fire training in Makua Valley since 2004.

Another focus would be unmanned aerial vehicle training using Makua, which has unrestricted airspace, Mixon said. In conjunction with those changes, the Army is planning to move some live-fire training to new facilities it would build at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.

So the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement being prepared for construction at Pohakuloa is related to the shifting of training activities from Makua to Pohakuloa.

The language coming out of these kinds of conferences also reveals a lot about how the military and businesses view Hawai’i.   Hawai’i is used to serve certain interests.  Our lands, seas and skies are used.  Our people are used.  The entire Pacific ocean is used.  It reveals the arrogance of empire.  Empire never asks permission of the people in its far flung possessions.  It imposes, announces, decides.

Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander in chief of the Pacific Command said that the Pentagon is focusing its attention on the Asia Pacific Region.  Willard said. “We’ll be discussing Pacific Command’s vision for a future posture that is an improved posture in the region — not a lessening posture by any means, but rather a reorienting of some of our forces.”   “Improved posture”?   As in stop slouching?  Interesting language.  It sounds like a bit of spin on possible budget cuts.  We’ll see.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

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Army helicopter training enroaching on Mauna Kea

As reported previously on this site, the Army proposes to conduct High Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training (HAMET) on the slopes of Mauna Kea.    This training would take place outside of the training areas currently under Army control.   The Army has just posted the Environmental Assessment (EA), Appendices and Draft Fining of No Significant Impact on its website.

The EA confirms that  the Army has conducted this type of aviation training on Mauna Kea in 2003, 2004 and 2006.  Why did the Department of Land and Natural Resources approve the training without any public comment or notification? Here is a disturbing revelation on page 2-6 of the EA:

In November (2003), while performing high-altitude training on the slopes of Mauna Kea, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter landed about 3.5 miles (6 kilometers) east of the designated LZs within the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (NAR) within the boundaries of the Mauna Kea Adze Quarry. Subsequent to the incident, the Army was requested to implement additional mitigations to avoid future-related impacts during the training period (Young 2003).

What are they training for?  To fly in the high altitude environment of Afghanistan.  Empire is a constant state of war.  Tell the Army what you think about this training:

Comments are due January 24, 2011. They can be emailed to: William.Rogers5@us.army.mil, or mailed to: Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division (IMPC-HI-PWE), Attn: Mr. William Rogers, 947 Wright Avenue, Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Barracks, 96857-5013.

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Army wants more helicopter training on Mauna Kea after violating Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve

In addition to plans to expand Army training facilities in the Pohakuloa Training Area, the Army recently issued a notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for impelementation of High Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training (HAMET) on the slopes of the sacred mountain, Mauna Kea.

According to Marti Townsend of KAHEA, the area that the Army is proposing to use is state land (ceded lands) set aside as a forest reserve for the birds.

In the past, the Army has been granted a “right of entry” permit to use the forest reserve for “touch-n-go” type helicopter exercises and also overnight “set up camp in a hurry” type trainings. The permit is issued by the Division Of Forestry And Wildlife Head, Paul Conroy, meaning that it does not come before the Board of Land and Natural Resources in a public hearing. The public was not notified of the previous right of entry permits issued to the Army.

However, we have learned that an Army helicopter landed in the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Areas Reserve during a training exercise in violation of the permit. This prompted the state to require the Army to complete an Environmental Assessment pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Below is the excerpt from The Environmental Notice published on Dec. 23rd. Deadline for comments to the Army is January 24, 2011.

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High Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training, Pōhakuloa Training Area, Island of Hawai‘i

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, an Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) have been prepared for the implementation of proposed High Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training (HAMET) at Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA), Island of Hawai‘i. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide helicopter aviators/crews high-altitude training flight operations, while recognizing Army stewardship responsibilities within the affected region. The need for the proposed action is to provide realistic training to ready helicopter aviators/crews to be successful in the combat theater to support the operational and mission requirements of the 25th CAB, 25th Infantry Division, set forth by the Department of Army and Department of Defense (DoD) for deployment in support of combat operations in Afghanistan and future related theater actions. Activities for helicopter aviator/crew proficiency training include but are not limited to: Touch and go, limited landings, approach and departure, reconnaissance, abort and go around, and nighttime operations in designated areas. Based on the information analyzed, the EA concludes that the proposed action would not result in any significant direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse impacts on the natural or human environment. The EA and draft FNSI are available for public review at the following public libraries: Hilo Public Library, Kailua-Kona Public Library, and Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library. Copies can also be obtained by contacting NEPA Program Manager at (808) 656-3075 or William.Rogers5@us.army.mil. Written comments will be received and considered up to 30 days from the publication of this notice, and should be directed to the email address above, or mailed to: Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division (IMPC-HI-PWE), Attn: Mr. William Rogers, 947 Wright Avenue, Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Barracks, 96857-5013.

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Army announces Programmatic EIS for construction at Pohakuloa Training Area

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: FOUO

FOR MG TERRY / LTC NILES / USARPAC MS. NIELSEN for PTA PEIS NOI notifications

Aloha ‘Okou,

I hope that this email finds you well. Unfortunately time constraints preclude my ability to call all of you today.  Therefore I am sending this email to ensure that you receive this information.

I wanted to personally notify you of the Army’s action to publish a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register this week, stating that the Army will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island — which will evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with the modernization of training ranges, infrastructure, and support facilities there.

The PEIS will also specifically evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with the construction and operation of an Infantry Platoon Battle Area at PTA.

The Army is seeking public input to identify community concerns or issues as part of the PEIS process – which is being conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The proposed actions at PTA involve upgrading existing ranges to current standards and/or constructing new ranges; upgrading and/or constructing new Soldier support facilities in the cantonment area; and improving or constructing roads and utilities at PTA.  The proposed action would improve the current shortfall in collective live-fire training capabilities for units stationed in Hawaii.

The PEIS will evaluate constructing and operating an Infantry Platoon Battle Area —  which includes an infantry Platoon Battle Course, a live-fire shoot house, and a Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility.  The PEIS will also consider alternate courses of action, including modernizing PTA’s existing training ranges, infrastructure and facilities, or a No Action alternative.

Public scoping meetings to receive community input are scheduled to be held in Hilo on 11 Jan and in Waimea on 12 Jan.

Tues., 11 Jan 2011:
Hilo Intermediate School
5:50 – 6:45 p.m. – Open House       7:00-9:00 p.m. – Open Microphone session

Wed.,  12 Jan 2011
Waimea Elementary & Intermediate School
5:30-6:45 p.m. – Open House         7:00-9:00 p.m. – Open Microphone Session

I will be at both public meetings. I hope that you will be able to attend one or the other of the meetings.

A Public Notice will be advertised in the Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today, and a media release issued to all media.

Section 106 consultation will be conducted on this project, and we have already started the archaeological field work to enable us to do this, as those who have been working for CSH are undoubtedly aware.  Fieldwork will be ongoing into the new year as well using PTA Cultural Resources staff.

For additional information on this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or our action officer, Mike Egami at 808-656-3152. Unfortunately, I will be on leave from December 21 through December 28, returning on December 29.


However, I do eventually read through all of my emails, so please feel free to send one back, or call me when I return should you have questions or concerns.  And of course, we have our next Cultural Advisory Committee meeting on January 14.

Have a wonderful, safe and enjoyable holiday season, and I look forward to seeing all of you in the new year!

Mahalo nui loa,

Julie

Dr. Julie M. E. Taomia
Archaeologist, Cultural Resources Section
Environmental Division
Directorate of Public Works
Pohakuloa Training Area
US Army Garrison
(808)969-1966
http://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=card&service_provider_id=83121&site_id=46&service_category_id=5

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: FOUO

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The Abercrombie administration, Mo’olelo Aloha ‘Aina and other news briefs

Governor Elect Neil Abercrombie announced the appointment of William Aila to the position of Chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), an important post that covers protection of the environment and cultural resources, including Native Hawaiian sacred places and burials.  Aila is the harbormaster of the Wai’anae Boat Harbor, a community activist on Native Hawaiian and environmental issues and a leader in efforts to protect and reclaim Makua Valley from the Army.  This could be a good development for groups seeking stronger state protection of iwi kupuna (ancestral remains) and working to end military destruction of Hawaiian land in Makua and other locations in Hawai’i.  In the past, Abercrombie has urged the Army to find alternatives to training at Makua. So let’s hope that the appointment of Alia to head DLNR signals a commitment to fulfill that promise.  At the same time, we must ensure that other locations such as Pohakuloa, Lihu’e or Kahuku are not sacrificed to further military expansion as the trade off for Makua.  Remember that the Stryker expansion involves the Army seizing an additional 25,000 acres of land, whereas, Makua is about 5000 acres.

However, Abercrombie has also built his reputation in Congress by securing military spending in Hawai’i, much of it related to construction projects to intensify the military presence in Hawai’i.  As Hawai’i Business reports, key elements of Abercrombie’s economic recovery plan include military spending:

• Again, using federal dollars, and particularly spending by the Defense Department, build a “21st-century” infrastructure in areas such as energy, information, irrigation and rail transit.

…

• Make technology and innovation a backbone of the economy, including a stronger emphasis on dual-use technology businesses, which create technology for the military that can also be used in civilian applications.

We need to ensure that this new administration does not make Hawai’i more dependent on and subservient to the military-industrial complex.

The military presence in Hawai’i also brings dangers to the communities and the troops themselves. The toxic legacy of Agent Orange still destroys the lives of US troops as well as Vietnamese.  The University of Hawai’i has the dubious distinction of helping to develop and test Agent Organge in the 1960s. Several UH workers who worked on the project were exposed to the toxin and allegedly died from health effects of the exposure.  A new project Make Agent Orange History partnered with the Matsunage Institute for Peace to conduct a mock dialogue on Agent Orange.   I am not clear what the outcome of the project will be.   We have current issues with Agent Orange contamination on Kaua’i and Depleted Uranium contamination on O’ahu and Hawai’i island. I hope the Matsunaga Institute will become more active in seeking the clean up and restoration of these sites and prevention of further military contamination of the ‘aina.

Military accidents are another danger.  In 2006 two U.S. soldiers died as a result of a mortar blast at Pohakuloa.  The families of the soldiers sued the manufacturer, General Dynamic, the same company that makes the Stryker combat vehicle. The jury in the civil suit recently found that General Dynamics was not liable for the deaths:

An 81 mm mortar round that misfired in 2006, killing a 27-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier at the Big Island’s Pohakuloa Training Area, was not defective, a jury in a federal civil trial determined yesterday.

A new online educational resource project of the Hawaiian independence group MANA has been launched. Mo’olelo Aloha ‘Aina is now online.  It includes oral histories of activists from key Hawaiian struggles of the past 30-40 years, including the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Here’s the announcement and link:

Aloha,

Check out this new website with stories and mana’o from kanaka aloha aina who have been involved in different land struggles in Hawai’i! The Moolelo Aloha Aina project website is at: http://moolelo.manainfo.com/

Here’s a little bit about the project:

The Moolelo Aloha Aina project gathers oral histories of Aloha Aina activists who have engaged in direct action land struggles in Hawaii.  It is intended to be an educational resource for anyone to use.  As a project of MANA (Movement for Aloha no ka ‘Aina), we hope it will inspire new generations to become active in protecting and caring for the ‘aina.

The project creators started by interviewing some key people from a few struggles from the 1970s–Kahoolawe, Kalama Valley and Waiahole-Waikane. You can catch mana’o from Soli Niheu, Pete Thompson, Emmett Aluli, and Walter, Loretta and Scarlett Ritte, on the site, among others.

Since the website is intended to be a living archive, the creators encourage filmmakers or anyone with a video camera to get involved by contributing to the archive. The project coordinators are also looking to collaborate with educators to help increase the young people’s awareness of the legacy of activism that is such an integral part of Hawaiian history and current reality.

You can check out a digital story (a short video) describing the project at: http://vimeo.com/16689150

Please feel free to spread the word by forwarding this message!


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KULANI TRANSFER IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW

PRESS STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Kat Brady, Coordinator

Community Alliance on Prisons

Office: (808) 533-3454

Nationwide cell: (808) 927-1214

Kyle Kajihiro, Program Director

AFSC Hawai’i

Office: (808) 988-6266

KULANI TRANSFER IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW

Honolulu – Tuesday, November 9, 2010 – Last Thursday, November 4, 2010, the Lingle administration once again demonstrated their contempt for the laws of Hawai`i by holding a “Unifying Ceremony” at the now shuttered Kulani Prison during the appeals process challenging the Board of Land and Natural Resources’ (BLNR) vote to turn over public land to the military with no public discussion.

Community Alliance on Prisons; DMZ – Aloha `Aina Hawai`i, a network affiliated with the American Friends Service Committee; and Native Hawaiian lineal descendant, Michael Lee, have all submitted petitions for a contested case hearing on the transfer of Kulani Lands to the Department of Defense National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program.

“An appeal of the BLNR’s vote is somewhat like a court case, while the appeal is in play, everything stops. No further action can be taken until the matter is decided,” said Kat Brady, Coordinator of Community Alliance on Prisons.

“The Kulani prison site was created by an executive order that set aside the land for only one use – a prison.” said Kyle Kajihiro. “It was a shock to see the administration and the National Guard proceed with no regard for the law nor the appeals process.”

Kulani Prison was closed in November 2009, interrupting the most successful sex offender treatment program in the country and placing the community in danger since the program participants have not been receiving the treatment they need.

An informational briefing on the closure of Kulani held by the Senate Public Safety Committee on April 28, 2010 revealed flagrant violations of the law including the burning of 63 years of records in a pit with no authorization and in violation of EPA requirements and Hawai`i County’s ‘no burn ordinance’ in effect since 2008. Upon questioning, a Public Safety official blurted out, “We had to get rid of the evidence.”

The statutorily appointed Corrections Population Management Commission was not even consulted about the closure of this prison and the land was immediately turned over to DOD with no public input.

Kulani had a rich history that involved training those who violated the law to reenter the community as contributing citizens. It was the one facility in Hawai`i that had the kinds of outcomes we strive for today. The closure has overburdened the rest of Hawai`i’s correctional system and been a profitable decision for Corrections Corporation of America.

“The question remains,” asks Brady, “is the Lingle administration above the law? Our resounding answer is ‘No’ !”

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Lingle attempts to “Superferry” the Kulani prison transfer

Yesterday Governor Lingle was on hand to dedicate the new Youth ChalleNGe facility at the former Kulani prison site on Hawai’i island. This was reported in the Honolulu Star Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.

But wait.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) decision to transfer the land from the Department of Public Safety to the state Department of Defense is being challenged by three parties: Kat Brady of the Community Alliance on Prisons, Michael Lee, a Kanaka Maoli cultural practitioner and lineal descendant with ties to the lands in question and DMZ-Hawai’i / Aloha ‘Aina. Read more here and here

The three parties requested a contested case hearing before the BLNR.  This should place a hold on the BLNR decision going into effect.   To date, there has  been no correspondence from BLNR to the intervening parties.

The Kulani prison lands, which are zoned for conservation, were set aside decades ago by executive order of the Governor exclusively for a prison.  No other uses are permitted.   When Governor Lingle closed the Kulani prison she announced that she was giving the facility to the National Guard for the Youth ChalleNGe program.   The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Defense signed a memorandum of agreement to transfer the occupancy of the facility.   But the previous executive order has not been officially terminated. And a new executive order has not been issued nor approved by the legislature.   So the the new Youth ChalleNGe facility is illegal.

Lingle is not one to let the law get in the way of her plans.  We saw what lengths she would go to in order to circumvent the law in the case of the Hawaii Superferry.   Earlier, the Hawaii National Guard tried to sneak in military training, but community groups blocked the military training component.   In the last months of her term, the expedited transfer of the Kulani facility to the National Guard seems to be Lingle’s attempt to  “Superferry” the Kulani prison transfer.  This time she’s leaving the mess for the next governor to clean up.

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Use of former prison draws group’s protest

Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20101009_use_of_former_prison_draws_groups_protest.html

Use of former prison draws group’s protest

By Leila Fujimori

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 09, 2010

A community group that opposed the state’s shutdown of a Big Island prison is formally contesting the transfer of the Kulani Correctional Facility site to the Department of Defense for the National Guard’s Youth Challenge program.

“The board (Board of Land and Natural Resources) didn’t do their due diligence,” said Kat Brady, coordinator of the Community Alliance on Prisons.

The group questions whether the Land Board overstepped its bounds by turning the land over to the Defense Department — in effect, canceling Executive Order 1225, which established its use as a prison. This action was taken without a formal document from the governor withdrawing the executive order, the petition said.

Community Alliance filed on Sept. 20 a request for a triallike hearing to contest the board’s Sept. 9 decision.

A hearing officer will assist the board in determining whether the group has any standing to bring a contested-case hearing before it. There is no timetable on when the board must rule.

Brady’s group opposed the shuttering of the facility, alleging the Department of Public Safety gradually decreased the number of inmates being sent to Kulani, resulting in its population shrinking from 200-plus inmates to 120 to help justify the decision. “What it looked like is it inflates operating costs,” she said.

With only 120 prisoners, Public Safety Director Clayton Frank cited the per-inmate cost at $110. A comparable Oahu low-security prison costs $65.

“The Department of Defense has had the keys since Nov. 20, 2009,” Brady said. “I don’t know what went on behind closed doors, but they were not ready to do anything with it.”

Frank said, “When the budget was spiraling downwards last year,” the department looked at the closure of Kulani, and the Defense Department contacted Public Safety about acquiring it.

Brady said Land Board Chairwoman Laura Thielen said at the Sept. 9 hearing that Kulani sits in the middle of a pristine rain forest.

“Then why just hand it over?” Brady asked. “They transferred the land to the state’s largest polluter. It’s a dangerous door to open.”

The board and its chairwoman would not comment on the petition, Ward said.

Brady said by transferring the land to the Defense Department, the board forecloses the option of reopening the prison or any other alternatives.

Hawaii National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony said the Guard requires an existing, nearly turnkey facility to start up a new Youth Challenge campus.

He said transfers from one state agency to another are nothing unusual, and there was never any intent to use the facility for anything other than the youth program.

“We gave our word,” Anthony said. “There are no plans to do anything other than the Youth Challenge Academy.” To do anything other than that would require going before the board again, he said.

After public opposition, the Defense Department quickly pulled its request to also use the prison site for military training. But it was simply a way of maximizing the use of that facility and not the primary purpose, Anthony said.

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Group challenges decision on Kulani

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2010/09/24/local_news/local04.txt

Group challenges decision on Kulani

by Peter Sur
Tribune-Herald Staff Writer

Published: Friday, September 24, 2010 10:44 AM HST

An advocacy group is challenging the state land board’s decision earlier this month transferring Kulani lands and the former Kulani Correctional Facility to the state Department of Defense.

Kat Brady, representing the Honolulu-based Community Alliance on Prisons, and two other individuals requested a contested case hearing during the Sept. 9 meeting of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

At issue was a request by the state to “approve of and recommend to the governor” that she cancel the executive orders and transfer the lands so they could be used for the Youth ChalleNGe Academy (a program for at-risk teens and young adults) and also for the Hawaii Army National Guard for training purposes.
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