Army may explode
By Harold Morse
Makua bomb where it is
to minimize danger
Star-Bulletin
An unexploded thousand-pound bomb found late last month on a steep hillside in Makua Valley could force the closure of Farrington Highway and Makua Beach if it goes off, Army spokesmen said last night.
The state may have to briefly close the highway and the Coast Guard may have to secure the beach if the bomb is detonated at the live-firing range, said Lt. Col. Donald Birdseye, executive officer, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii.
"Overall, the plan is to make sure that the area is completely clear," said Maj. Scott Messinger, an artillery staff officer at Schofield.
Because the blast radius could be 843 meters -- this would include parts of the highway and beach -- the Army wants 1,000 meters clear all around for safety, said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Doig.
The Army men told some 35 residents at Waianae Library the half-ton bomb may be too dangerous to move and may have to be detonated where it is.
Doig of Schofield's 706th Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit said it's believed a sand-bag revetment could protect a nearby heiau from the blast and fragments.
"This thousand-pound bomb is about 350 meters up the hill from the heiau," he said.
Some residents complained sand bags or other protective measures should be in place already to guard against accidental detonation. They spoke of the sacred nature of the heiau and other valley sites and voiced safety concerns.
"I just wanted to help you understand why we treasure our aina so much," said Coochie Layan.
The rusting World War II-vintage bomb had one fuse in the nose and one in the tail, timed to later detonate the bomb if the fuse in the nose failed, Doig said.
The Army is assuming it's the most dangerous, 600 pounds of high explosive, and proceeding from there, Doig said.
But the bomb may actually be inert, he added.
Detonation where it lies could create a crater about 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep, Doig said.
Some residents worried important artifacts may be in the affected soil and suffer damage.
"There are no surface indications of any site features in the area of the bomb," said Laurie Lucking, cultural resources manager, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii.
Residents said repeatedly they don't want the bomb detonated where it is.
Some suggested chemical action to melt down the half-inch bomb casing and minimize fragmentation danger.
Other technology might spare the community of having the bomb detonated where it lies, they said.
Birdseye said all these things will be checked out.
"We want to get rid of this problem just as much as you do," Doig said. "And we want to do it as safely as we can."
