Group: Look at Stryker impact or be suedBy Audrey McAvoy, The Associated Press, Mar 14, 2008HONOLULU — An environmental group said Thursday it will challenge the Army in court if the service doesn’t address how basing a Stryker brigade in Hawaii would affect live-fire training in Makua Valley.David Henkin, an Earthjustice lawyer, said the final version of the Army’s environmental impact statement on the Stryker brigade doesn’t address how the unit would affect Makua even though Henkin submitted a question on the issue.The Army considers Makua vital to soldier readiness but Native Hawaiian groups value the remote valley for its temples and other sacred and cultural sites. Environmentalists point to several dozen endangered species that inhabit the valley.The Army doesn’t plan to have Stryker soldiers, who move around on eight-wheeled heavy duty vehicles, train in Makua. The Army only uses Makua Military Reservation for infantry brigade training.But Henkin, and several Native Hawaiian groups Earthjustice has represented in lawsuits over the Stryker brigade and Makua, say the brigade will have indirect effects on the valley.Henkin said the Army has previously indicated that basing Strykers in Hawaii would prevent the service from moving other live-fire training out of Makua.That’s because the Stryker brigade would use other Army training grounds in Hawaii — including Schofield Barracks and Pohakuloa Training Area — that could replace Makua, Henkin said.“There will be a domino effect,” Henkin said at a press conference in front of Iolani Palace. “By occupying the training lands for Stryker, they are pushing training to Makua, they are condemning Makua sacred sites and endangered species to destruction.”Earthjustice said the National Environmental Policy Act requires that the Army disclose indirect, as well as direct, environmental impacts of Stryker basing.The Army last month released the final version of its environmental impact statement, which said Hawaii’s strategic location made the state the most desirable location for the unit.Army leaders, after consulting the report, are expected to announce after March 24 where they plan to base the brigade.Col. Wayne Shanks, a U.S. Army Pacific spokesman, said the Army conducted a comprehensive study for the environmental impact statement.“The EIS was a very thorough and detailed analysis of all the potential impacts and the ways to mitigate any of those possible impacts through active measures,” Shanks said.The Army welcomes comments from the public before leaders make a basing decision, he added.Separately, the Army announced it would conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement to cover the service’s planned expansion in Hawaii and Alaska.Hawaii’s soldier population may grow by 1,000 under the plan.Overall, the Army intends to grow by 74,000 by 2010 to meet demands created by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of increase will go to Texas, Georgia and Colorado as the Army bases six new combat brigades there.In Hawaii, the Army expects most of the additional soldiers to be assigned to Schofield Barracks. Some will go to Fort Shafter and Wheeler Army Airfield.
Group: Look at Stryker impact or be suedBy Audrey McAvoy, The Associated Press, Mar 14, 2008HONOLULU — An environmental group said Thursday it will challenge the Army in court if the service doesn’t address how basing a Stryker brigade in Hawaii would affect live-fire training in Makua Valley.David Henkin, an Earthjustice lawyer, said the final version of the Army’s environmental impact statement on the Stryker brigade doesn’t address how the unit would affect Makua even though Henkin submitted a question on the issue.The Army considers Makua vital to soldier readiness but Native Hawaiian groups value the remote valley for its temples and other sacred and cultural sites. Environmentalists point to several dozen endangered species that inhabit the valley.The Army doesn’t plan to have Stryker soldiers, who move around on eight-wheeled heavy duty vehicles, train in Makua. The Army only uses Makua Military Reservation for infantry brigade training.But Henkin, and several Native Hawaiian groups Earthjustice has represented in lawsuits over the Stryker brigade and Makua, say the brigade will have indirect effects on the valley.Henkin said the Army has previously indicated that basing Strykers in Hawaii would prevent the service from moving other live-fire training out of Makua.That’s because the Stryker brigade would use other Army training grounds in Hawaii — including Schofield Barracks and Pohakuloa Training Area — that could replace Makua, Henkin said.“There will be a domino effect,” Henkin said at a press conference in front of Iolani Palace. “By occupying the training lands for Stryker, they are pushing training to Makua, they are condemning Makua sacred sites and endangered species to destruction.”Earthjustice said the National Environmental Policy Act requires that the Army disclose indirect, as well as direct, environmental impacts of Stryker basing.The Army last month released the final version of its environmental impact statement, which said Hawaii’s strategic location made the state the most desirable location for the unit.Army leaders, after consulting the report, are expected to announce after March 24 where they plan to base the brigade.Col. Wayne Shanks, a U.S. Army Pacific spokesman, said the Army conducted a comprehensive study for the environmental impact statement.“The EIS was a very thorough and detailed analysis of all the potential impacts and the ways to mitigate any of those possible impacts through active measures,” Shanks said.The Army welcomes comments from the public before leaders make a basing decision, he added.Separately, the Army announced it would conduct a supplemental environmental impact statement to cover the service’s planned expansion in Hawaii and Alaska.Hawaii’s soldier population may grow by 1,000 under the plan.Overall, the Army intends to grow by 74,000 by 2010 to meet demands created by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of increase will go to Texas, Georgia and Colorado as the Army bases six new combat brigades there.In Hawaii, the Army expects most of the additional soldiers to be assigned to Schofield Barracks. Some will go to Fort Shafter and Wheeler Army Airfield.
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