NAVY PLANS TO ADD TO BIENNIAL MULTINATIONAL EXERCISES = RIMPAC
Hearing on plan's EIS scheduled for Aug. 26 in Hilo
by Nancy Cook Lauer
West Hawaii Today
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:54 AM HST
HILO -- As the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise wraps up this weekend, the U.S. Navy is already preparing for expanded exercises in the future.West Hawaii Today
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:54 AM HST
The Navy has filed notice of an Environmental Impact Statement to "adjust baseline training and testing activities from current levels to match levels required to support Navy training and testing requirements" beginning in 2014.
A Navy spokesman said the EIS is for an expansion of training activities, but only a minor expansion of the training area, which currently takes in a wide swath of the Pacific around the islands as well as waters off San Diego.
The new area will include a transit route between the two training-areas and also expand the Hawaii waters 60 miles west to the International Dateline.
The Navy has scheduled a series of public meetings on the EIS in California and on the major Hawaiian Islands, including one Aug. 26 in Hilo.
RIMPAC, the world's largest multinational maritime exercise, takes place from June 23 through Aug. 1 in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This year's event brought 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 20,000 personnel to Hawaii.
U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Mark Matsunaga said the EIS is needed by 2014 because of a five-year renewal required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The last EIS took effect in 2008.
In addition, according to the Navy's July 14 notice, it needs to "accommodate evolving mission requirements associated with force structure changes," including those resulting from the development, testing and introduction of new vessels, aircraft and weapons systems into the fleet.
 |
Click Photo to Enlarge
An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Blue Diamonds of Strike Fighter Squadron 146 prepares to land on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. - Joseph M. Buliavac | U.S. Navy |
"There are all kinds of potential responses that we here in the Pacific could be called upon for," Matsunaga said.
The Hilo meeting is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 26 at Hilo High School. The public can also comment on the EIS in writing by Sept. 14. More information is at HSTTEIS.com.
The EIS covers oceanography, air quality, airplane noise, biological resources, cultural resources, regional economy, recreation, and public health and safety.
Cory Harden, a Big Island Sierra Club member who has been active in marine environment issues, said she plans to attend the Hilo scoping session.
 |
Click Photo to Enlarge
Cpl. Blake Kirkham, assigned to 2nd Royal Australian Regiment, 5th platoon, secures the beach head for an amphibious assault vehicle during a mechanized raid rehearsal on Pyramid Rock Beach at Marine Corps Base Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific 2010 exercises. - Jody Lee Smith/U.S. Marine Corps |
Matsunaga said he's ready for the discussion.
"Come to the public meetings and help us define the issues," Matsunaga said. "We welcome public input."
Replies
The U.S. is in violation of the Hawaiian Kingdom's international law of neutrality. The U.S. war-mongering policy makes it undesirable to be in Hawaii's territory. Under the law of occupation, the U.S. should de-occupy the Hawaiian Kingdom as prescribed by international law; particularly since there is no required lawful treaty of annexation for Hawai'i to be part of the U.S.
As you may recall, U.S. constitution declares ratified treaties are the supreme law of the land. The overwhelming (approximately 98%) subjects of the Hawaiian Kingdom signed Ku'e Petitions of 1897 in protest against annexation to the U.S. Thus, the U.S. Congress rejected the treaty of annexation due to lack of the established 2/3rds majority vote. This was unlawfully by-passed by the ill-fated U.S. President McKinley and the powers that be in Congress to pass the domestic, internal Newlands Resolution which has no jurisdiction in another foreign country.
In doing so, the U.S. breached international laws; the law of occupation; the law of neutrality, and its own U.S. constitutional laws.
Tane
Tane
Kamehameha I made his Kingdom a "Peace Zone" nation. All of Hawaii's Royal Rulers especially Queen Liliuokalani lived by Kamehameha's legacy for his Kingdom.
We have too many of our own people of the Blood who continue to support the "War-Mongering Policy" of the United States.
There will be a News Press Release on Sat at the La Ho'iho'i Ea Celebration this year to
KUE RIMPAC 2010. We the Kanaka Maoli people of the Spirit must KUE and Stop all future RIMPAC
usage of our Hawaii.
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomaikaiokalani, Hawaiian Kingdom National Royalist 1993