Anti-War Up - Hilo Protest of Pohakuloa Expansion

Aloha kakou,

Lt. Col. Fred S. Clark, Commander of the military Pohakuloa Training Area

(PTA) is speaking on military expansion to a lunch gathering of the Hawaii
Island

Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of
Hawaii

on Thursday, March 4th. The luncheon begins at 11:30 and will be held in the

Kilohana Room of the Hawaii Naniloa Hotel on Banyan Drive in Hilo. Those

calling for No Expansion and wanting the military to Clean Up NOT Build up
will

gather on the public sidewalk fronting the Naniloa Hotel beginning at 10:30

for an informational picket line from 10:30-noon. Bring a sign and please
pass

the word of the protest. See you there. (The community is invited to the

luncheon, cost is $16/$20; reservations are required. Call 935-7178.
Questions

you might consider asking: 1. What is the projected cost and time line for

cleaning up the present mess at PTA and the 56 other military sites totaling

250,000 acres litered with unexploded ordnance and other military toxins on
Hawaii

Island? 2. Do you consider the fee of $1.00 for a 66 year lease on 109,000

acres at PTA to be fair rent payment, especially when thousands of Hawaiians

are on a waiting list for Hawaiian Home lands? 3. The Draft EIS on Stryker

Expansion confirms through soil samples that lead and beryllium are being
put

into the soil at PTA from military training. Most people are generally aware
of

the dangers of lead poisoning. But few people are aware of Beryllium

hazards. Accordning to a 9/2/99 OSHA bulletin "inhaling beryllium dust or
fumes may

cause serious chronic lung disease among exposed workers; this lung diseases

can be fatal." Question: when will the military pay for further EPA type

independent testing of air and soil --along Saddle Road, the Girl Scout
Camp,

Waiki`i, Waikoloa, Mauna Kea State Park, and other public areas? Will the
GIs who

train at PTA be checked for lead poining and chronic lung disease, and why

haven't they been provided personal samplers to monitor their exposure to
such

toxins?)

A hui hou.

Jim Albertini

Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent

Education & Action

P.O. Box AB

Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760

ja@interpac.net

http://www.malu-aina.org http://maluaina.pitas.com