Whatever
Happened To...
An update on past news
Explosives cleanup going
quicker than expectedQuestion: What ever happened to the cleanup of World War II explosives in the Big Island area around Waikoloa Village?
Answer: U.S. Army contractor American Technologies Inc. has found live ammunition, but the cleanup is going faster than expected, said project manager Chuck Streck.
Since January, cleanup crews have found 20 artillery rounds, three mortar rounds, four rockets, three rifle grenades and 39 hand grenades, all of them live, Streck said.
All of the explosives are left over from World War II when 123,000 acres of Parker Ranch was used for training troops.
The cleanup in the immediate area of Waikoloa Village went so well this spring that the contractor cleared 473.5 acres, well above the 340 acres it expected to clear, Streck said.
The result is a "safe corridor" around Waikoloa Village, he said. No homes were evacuated, although a live 105 mm round was found in an undeveloped area inside the village, he said.
The contractor is now working at Lalamilo, north of the village, and hopes to clear up to 420 acres there, more than the 340 acres initially planned.
The efficiency comes from improved technology and search methods, Streck said.
The costs for the cleanup so far is $29.6 million, out of a total of $50 million, with three years left in the five-year cleanup plan, he said.
Other money has been spent on studies and project support, he said.
The Army is sticking with an estimate of $680 million for total cleanup, with $250 million of that for more cleanup near the village, plus Lalamilo and along the Waimea-Kawaihae Road, he said.
But the efficiency seen so far might mean estimates can be revised downward 30 percent, he said.
This update was written by Star-Bulletin reporter Rod Thompson.
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