[CPEO-MEF] Makua fire puts pressure on Army

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Hawai'i
HONLULU STAR-BULLETIN
Makua fire puts pressure on Army
Some groups question how much additional harm a new Stryker brigade
might bring
By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com
Monday, July 28, 2003

Some Hawaii environmentalists are asking whether an island state often
called the "endangered species capital of the world" is the right place
for the Army's new Stryker combat brigade.

And they point to last week's Makua Valley fire -- where an Army
controlled burn got out of control -- as an example of the Army not
living up to its environmental promises.

 "It is a serious question whether our islands, with their limited land
mass that is very concentrated with people, cultural sites and sensitive
ecosystems," are the best site for a Stryker brigade, said David Henkin,
the Earthjustice attorney who represented the group Malama Makua in its
lawsuit that sought an end to live-fire training in Makua Valley.

"It bears careful analysis."

That analysis is supposed to come soon in an environmental impact
statement. However, Army officials will not talk about the contents of
the 1,500-page draft document until Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
announces whether Hawaii will get Strykers. That announcement could come
this week.

This article can be viewed at:
http://starbulletin.com/2003/07/28/news/story1.html

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