[asia-apec 980] Re: NZ Declares war on dissent

[Malia Robinson/Roger Furrer]

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
December 13, 1998

For further information contact Malama Makua through:
	Sparky Rodrigues,  (808) 696-2823 or 
	Roger Furrer, (808) 695-5317

Malama Makua and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will tour Makua
Military Reservation on Tuesday, December 15, 1998.  The site visit will be
followed by an informal meeting of community representatives, the EPA, the
State Department of Health (DOH),  and a senior military official.  The
site visit will begin at 9:00 am with the meeting scheduled to begin at
1:00 pm at the Makua Range headquarters conference room.  

The site visit is a follow-up to the September 30, 1998 meeting between the
EPA, the DOH, and community representatives regarding the clean-up and
closure at the Open-Burn, Open-Detonation (OBOD) site at Makua Military
Reservation.  At that time, the EPA proposed indefinitely delaying the
closure of the OBOD site, contrary to the request of the US Army.  The EPA
recommendation also met with strong opposition from the Wai`anae Community,
which called for the clean up of the valley and the closure of the military
reservation at Makua.

Malama Makua and the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund are currently suing
the US Army over their failure to complete an environmental impact
statement covering their use of Makua valley, and for their failure to
comply with the US Endangered Species Act.  Makua is home to over 30
endangered plants and animals, many of which are known only to exist in
that valley.

Malama Makua is a community-based organization seeking to protect Makua
valley, clean up almost 70 years of military debris, and to return it to
civilian control. 


Release Update: 12/15/98

The meeting today went very well.  Long.  It ended up going from 9:00-4:00.
 EPA and the State of Hawai`i have agreed to pursue testing for
contamination (primarily lead) in the muliwai (brackish ponds) on the state
park property, outside of the military reservation.  Initial discussions
were also begun in securing a critcal analysis of the testing done by the
Army back in 1994, upon which the EPA has based its analysis.  Furthermore,
both the EPA and the State Departmeent of Health have indicated that, based
on the public input from the September 30, 1998 meeting, they are
reconsidering their earlier position to delay clean-up of the
Open-burn/Open-Detonation site.  Most important of all, further discussions
on the future of Makua will continue.

Malama Makua has also been informed that the US Army has filed papers with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service to begin the process of complying with the
Endangered Species Act.  Malama Makua takes this as a sign that the US Army
is conceeding at least one half of our lawsuit. 

Mahalo,

Roger Furrer