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DASA Tad Davis updates Hawaii communities

Mr. Tad Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health (DASA, ESOH) was in Hawaii recently to update community, government and military leaders on current environmental and safety issues the Army is responsible for.

Davis conferred with Governor Linda Lingle, state legislative and Department of Defense leaders, Honolulu city government officials, congressional delegation staffs, and the leadership from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and scientists at The University of Hawaii at Manoa, on topics such as depleted uranium (DU), destruction of chemical weapons, Makua Valley, and offshore dumping of conventional ammunition off the Waianae coast.

Mr. Davis chaired a meeting of the Ordnance Reef Coordinating Council and also appeared before a special meeting of the Waianae Neighborhood Board. He provided an update on the progress the Army is making on resolving the issue of the munitions dumped off the Waianae coast more than 45 years ago.

"The Waianae community has asked the Army to explore ways to remove the munitions off the ocean floor. We are listening and we hear them," Davis said.

He informed the board, "We are currently searching for the technology that can be adapted or applied to removing the munitions off the ocean floor while ensuring the safety of the people doing the work," Davis said.

This most recent trip coincided with the presence of the Transportable Detonation Chamber, or TDC.

The TDC is a state-of-the-art contained detonation chamber that the Army used to safely destroy 71 legacy chemical munitions that was found in the Schofield Barracks impact area.

A tour of the detonation chamber for media was hosted by Mr. Davis. The 110-ton chamber is being used for the first time in the United States, but has undergone extensive testing and use in the United Kingdom.

Davis also engaged media at every opportunity with interviews on the KSSK Perry & Price morning show, Hawaii Public Radio, all TV stations and major print media.

He also made an appearance on the KGMB-TV9 "Sunrise" Morning Show.

Following his interview, Mr. Davis presented program meteorologist, Jeff Booth, with his coin in appreciation for his assistance to Soldiers.

During the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry’s deployment to Iraq, Booth learned that Army Spec. Nick Tuiolosega, back in Hawaii on his R&R, could not visit his family in American Samoa. It was during the Thanksgiving holiday, and all Hawaiian Air flights to Samoa were booked. That evening Booth contacted Army PAOs to help locate and arrange an interview with Tuiolosega at his uncle’s home in Waipahu. Booth ran the story on the 10 pm newscast. The next morning both KGMB-TV and Hawaiian Air had offers from ticketed passengers volunteering to give up their seat for Tuiolosega.

Note: The question one needs to ask, "Who is Home Rule Party?"  If not the Hawaiian Civic Club than who then?