Unexploded bombs found off Hawaiian beach.
ACTION ALERT: Demand US Army Clear Unexploded Bombs from Hawaii
(February 13, 2023) — Hawaii’s native residents are at risk from leftover bombs — known as unexploded ordnance (UXO) — left behind from past military training.
These dangerous bombs not only threaten their lives and well being, they also prevent them from using their own land for everything from permanent housing to farming.
So far, the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), the organization responsible for leading the remediation efforts, has failed in its duty to remove these dangerous weapons after numerous unsuccessful attempts to make any real progress.
It’s past time for immediate action to clear these bombs from Hawaii and protect the safety of all communities.
The daily threat and incredible hardship caused by the presence of UXO is real and urgent.
Native Hawaiians have been waiting for decades for ACE to clear these bombs from their lands.
The government’s failure to address this issue has had detrimental consequences for the Native Hawaiian community, and it is time for justice to be served.
It’s not just about the physical danger posed by the UXO, it’s also about the emotional toll of being denied a basic human need: a safe place to call home.
Hawaii has a long history of military presence. As a result, UXO poses a serious danger and it is crucial that it all be removed as soon as possible.
ACTION: Contact Lt. General Scott A. Spellmon:
Demand that the Army Corps of Engineers immediately remove all bombs left behind in Hawaii.
THE LETTER
To Lt. Gen. Scott Spellman, US Army Corps of Engineers commanding general and 55th Chief of Engineers:
I am deeply concerned about the danger unexploded ordnance (UXO) pose to Native Hawaiian culture and sacred sites. It is the responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that our communities are safe, and that the natural resources, cultural sites, and sacred places are protected.
I urge you to take action immediately to clear all unexploded ordnance from Hawaii.
Together, we can protect Hawaii’s lives and culture.
Thank you for working for peace,
Abbey, Faezeh, Sara, and the Win Without War team
Tell the Army Corps of Engineers:
Clear All Bombs from Hawaii!
A November report by ProPublica in partnership with The Honolulu Star-Advertiser told a story of Liliu Ross, a native Hawaiian who once dreamed of building a home on her ancestral lands.
Sadly, her dream was shattered when the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) imposed a freeze on federal housing funds throughout the region.
The reason for the freeze? The property she had planned to build on was part of the Waikoloa Maneuver Area, a 185,000-acre site that was used by the US military for training in the 1940’s, and is now contaminated with numerous types of bombs, collectively known as unexploded ordnance (UXO).
For Ross and many other Native Hawaiians, the inability to secure housing on lands set aside for them in a trust is a heartbreaking reality. They have been waiting for years for the opportunity to build homes, farms, and ranches on their ancestral lands, but the UXO left behind by the military decades ago has made this impossible.
That’s why it is imperative that the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), who are responsible for leading the removal effort, take immediate action to clear all bombs off of Hawaii and ensure the safety of the land and the ability of Native Hawaiians to live in peace
