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Army reconsiders In an unexpected move today, the Army withdrew its finding that resuming live-ammunition training will have "no significant impact" on the environment of Makua Valley.
Makua Valley
live-fire stance
It will form a panel with
Oahu residents to reassess
environmental concernsBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-BulletinInstead, the Army said it will immediately form a panel of Leeward Coast residents to further discuss 12 to 15 issues raised at a Jan. 27 meeting on an amended environmental assessment.
Maj. Cynthia Teramae, 25th Division spokeswoman, said the decision was based on the many concerns raised at that meeting. Issues ranged from the safety of transporting ammunition on Farrington Highway to the possible contamination of the area's water table.
More than 500 people attended the meeting, which lasted 10 hours.
John Fritschie, attorney with the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, said the Army's action today "does not necessarily end our lawsuit."Earthjustice, representing Malama Makua, a Leeward Coast group, believes the Army should have been required to file a more complicated and involved environmental impact statement.
That federal lawsuit is supposed to be heard on Feb. 26.
"We're happy that the Army is taking the much-needed look at its environment assessment whose findings were not supported by the facts," Fritschie said. "All this going on now proves that the best course of action would have been an environmental impact statement from the start."
The Army suspended training in the 4,190-acre valley in September, 1998, so the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service could assess the impact of past training exercises -- many of which resulted in fires -- on Makua's endangered plants and animals. The valley is said to contain 34 endangered species and more than 41 artifacts.
The Army has since realigned its targets so the soldiers are not firing where the Hawaiian artifacts are located, and also developed a fire control plan.