Fw: Press Statement of Army DU in Hawaii

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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:12 PM
Subject: Press Statement of Army DU in Hawaii


Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box AB`Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622  email ja@interpac.net
www.malu-aina.org
 
Press Release April 23, 2008
further contact: Jim Albertini 966-7622 ja@interpac.net
 
Statement in response to the military saying they are not going to clean up their depleted uranium contamination at Schofield Barracks.
 
"The military needs to practice what all of our mothers taught us and what Mother Earth is demanding of all humanity today:  "Clean up your mess!" said Jim Albertini of Malu `Aina  Center for Non-violent Education & Action.  Albertini said, "There is no safe level of radiation.  And the contamination on the mountain will sooner or later run down hill and down wind. We are all down hill and down wind of the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) here on Hawaii Island."
 
Albertini said, "the military acknowledges that they do not yet know the full extent of the radiation contamination at PTA but they are continuing with live-fire there.  That is totally irresponsible and all of our elected officials should be calling for an immediate halt to live-fire and other actions such as B-2 bombing at PTA that could spread the radiation until a complete independent assessment of the contamination is completed.  The military has rejected community involvement of Dr. Lorrin Pang, M.D., myself and others in the process to assure transparency and the confidence of the community.  Why is the military stonewalling the community and what are they trying to cover up?"
 
Albertini said, at a Malu Aina sponsored protest of the Saddle Road opening on May 29, 2007, citizen radiation monitors detected several spikes of radiation at Mauna Kea State Park with wind coming directly off the PTA 50,000-acre impact area less than 2 miles away from the northeast corner where radiation was confirmed by the military. The radiation levels were as high as 75 counts per minute which is several times the background readings of 5-20 cpm.  The radiation spikes are important because all it takes is one breath of invisible DU alpha particles to cause an increased risk of serious health problems including cancer.
 
Albertini said, "it is likely that there is far more radiation contamination at PTA than just the Davy Crockett nuclear weapon spotting rounds which the military was forced to admit.  There have been more than 60 different nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal.  Have hundreds of spotting rounds been used just for the Davy Crockett weapon system? I don't think so!   In addition, the U.S. has loads of depleted uranium (DU) penetrator munitions that they use to pierce armor and DU is used in bunker busters as well.  The military only says that it does not train in Hawaii with DU not that it hasn't trained in Hawaii with DU.  The military can not be trusted to tell the truth.  They have lied to us before.  Here on the Hawaii Island the Army got a least of state land in the Hilo watershed back in the 1960s, around the same time they were testing Davy Crockett at PTA.  They told the state they wanted to do "weather testing" in the Waiakea forest area near Hilo.  The Army lied.  They were doing secret deadly nerve gas testing in the Hilo watershed with with chemicals so deadly that 1/100th of drop will kill you.
 
At Pohakuloa today, the military is paying $1 for 65 years for 109,000-acres of ceded land that it is contaminating with unexploded ordnance, radioactivity and other chemical contaminants.  Some of that ceded land was simply seized again from Kanaka Maoli by presidential executive order.  But tens of thousands of acres is leased by the State of HawaII BLNR to the military for the grand total of $1 for 65 years.  If any person was leasing their house to someone and the lessees were trashing the house, the owner would cancel the lease.  It's time the state, on behalf of the people of Hawaii, issue an eviction order to the military, cancel the lease,.and demand the military clean up its mess, pay for damages and return the land to its rightful owners -- the Kanaka Maoli.  Where are the voices of our elected officials?  Their silence is deafening!"
 
Jim Albertini
Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box AB
`Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622
email ja@interpac.net
www.malu-aina.org
 
 

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