ARMY HALTS HAWAII TRAINING PENDING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

["cpeo@cpeo.org" <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

ARMY HALTS HAWAII TRAINING PENDING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

O'AHU, Hawaii, October 5, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Army agreed last week not
to conduct any training at Mäkua Military Reservation (MMR) on O`ahu until
studies on the environmental impacts of the training are completed. The
environmental group Mälama Mäkua, represented by Earthjustice Legal Defense
Fund, sued the Army to force its compliance with the National Environmental
  Policy Act (NEPA) for training at MMR. The training facility is located
west of Honolulu near Wai'anae. "This settlement is a major victory for the
Wai`anae community, which has said for years that the military’s training
at Mäkua  Military Reservation has a significant impact on the people, the
land, and the    resources at Mäkua," said Sparky Rodrigues, president of
Mälama Mäkua.  "We are encouraged that the Army is finally going to follow
the law, but we will   also be watching to make sure that the studies are
adequate and that the  community is actively involved."

No training has taken place at MMR since September 1998 when,
in response to a letter from Mälama Mäkua indicating its intent
to sue, the Army resumed consultations with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. The area affected by training at MMR provides
habitat for over 30 endangered plants, the `elepaio bird (a proposed
endangered species), the endangered püpü kani oe (O`ahu tree snail),
and dozens of additional Hawaiian plants and animals. Environmentalists say
military training causes fires and introduces alien plants and animals that
pose significant threats to native species and their habitat.