Events

Waikane Valley Restoration Advisory Board Meeting

Created by Pomaikaiokalani (See other events)
  • Apr 15, 2009 from 9:00am to 11:00am
  • Location: Wai'ahole Elementary School
  • Latest Activity: Jul 30, 2021
From: Kyle Kajihiro> Subject: [demilnet_Hawaii] Waikane Valley Restoration Advisory Board Meeting 4/15/09> To: demilnet_Hawaii@yahoogroups.com, "AFSC Yahoogroup"> Date: Monday, April 6, 2009, 11:06 PM> Waikane Valley Restoration Advisory Board Meeting>> April 15, 2009>> 7:00 to 9:00 pm>> Wai'ahole Elementary School>> Public Meeting to discuss the Marine Corps clean up of> unexploded> munitions in the Kamaka family land in Waikane Valley.>> Background>> In the 1940s, the military leased nearly 1000 acres of land> in> Wai'ahole and Waikane Valleys for training with an> agreement to> return the land in its original condition. One of the> families> whose land was leased was the Kamaka family, who had 187> acres in> Waikane valley. This happened to be one of the areas where> the> heaviest live fire artillery training took place. After the> land was> returned to the family in the 1970s, Raymond Kamaka began> farming the> land until unexploded ordnance began to turn up. When he> asked the> Marine Corps to clean up the munitions as agreed, the> Marines instead> moved to condemn the property. After a long legal and> political> battle the land was condemned. Raymond refused to accept> the court's> ruling and the "blood money" from the military.>> In 2003, the Marines announced plans to resume jungle> warfare> training in Waikane, geared to fighting insurgencies in the>> Philippines. The community blasted the expansion of> traning in> Waikane and called instead for the clean up and return of> the land.> The jungle warfare idea was scrapped, but the Marines> refused to> discuss clean up at that time.>> Then quietly around 2006, the Marine Corps officially> "closed"> Waikane as an active range, which triggered the Department> of Defense> Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and the commencement> of clean> up procedures. Clean up procedures under the IRP usually> have a> joing community-military Restoration Advisory Committee to> monitor> the design and execution of the clean up.>> The Waikane Valley RAB began in 2007 and last met in April> 2008. It> overseas only the Marine Corps clean up on the Kamaka> parcel in> Waikane. There is also an Army Corps of Engineers> munitions clean up> underway in the remaining portions of Waikane valley under> a> different program, the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS).> The Army> program is several years further along than the Marine> Corps clean> up. It does not have a RAB.
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