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Big Isle developer
apologizes for
disturbing
burial sites

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By Rod Thompson
Big Island correspondent

KAILUA-KONA -- Hokulia developer Oceanside 1250 has issued an apology to the Hawaiian community for disturbing Hawaiian burials at its Kona site last Thursday.

Walter "Jack" Kelly, the Protect Keopuka Ohana, and three other Kona residents are already in court hearings, alleging previous damage to burials and archaeological features on the 1,540-acre residential community site. They are also seeking a preliminary injunction to avoid further damage.

Construction has continued while the hearings are under way.

On Tuesday, Kelly and the others asked Judge Ronald Ibarra for a temporary restraining order to halt the work. Ibarra gave Oceanside 1250 until today to respond to the request.

Kelly said a construction crew using a hoe ram to create a hole to plant a tree punctured a lava tube last Thursday. The bones of three adults and a child were then seen inside the broken tube.

The existence of the lava tube was known, but the fact that it extended to the planting area was not known, Kelly said.

The hoe ram was working inside a previously established buffer zone for another burial, and was not supposed to be working there, he said.

Also, when a state Department of Health official heard about the incident and came to inspect the situation, he arrived in a truck and drove directly on top of a burial site, Kelly said.

Hokulia President Rick Humphreys responded yesterday, "We are very troubled that this accident occurred."

A person monitoring archaeology was on site at the time of the incident, and that person informed all appropriate agencies, he said.

"We rely on our project archaeologists, who work with the construction crews to ensure that all proper procedures are followed and care is taken in construction operations," Humphreys said.

"However, we accept ultimate responsibility for protection of burials and apologize to the native Hawaiian community."

"We seek to treat burial with the greatest of reverence and are taking additional steps, including expansion of protective zones and resurvey of all burial tubes, to ensure that this mistake will not be repeated."