Air Force has ‘change of heart’ on plan to part with training site riddled with old munitions

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Citing “changes in operational requirements,” the Air Force says it now plans to keep a 138-acre training site at Bellows Air Force Station that it had long planned to part with.

There are efforts underway to rid the land of old explosives.

And community members had hoped the land, once cleaned up, could be converted for housing.

The parcel is located on the southeastern portion of Bellows Air Force Station, situated between a residential neighborhood and Waimanalo Bay, and was property the Air Force had planned to relinquish since at least 2021, according to the Hawaii Military Land Use Master Plan. State Rep. Lisa Marten has spent years working to fund a clean-up with the dream Hawaiian homes would one day be built there.

But on Friday, the Air Force confirmed that there had been a change, telling HNN Investigates that the military would in fact be keeping the land and the “change will be reflected in the 2024 Hawaii Military Land Use Master Plan” released later this year. Marten called the news “really disappointing.”

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Military backs new work to locate, safely detonate wartime munitions dumped off Hawaii
• Training area scattered with old munitions envisioned as housing area after clean-up

For nearly four years, the state representative has worked closely with Hawaii’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. to secure funding for a clean-up to rid the old Urban Warfare Training site of military explosives with the hope the land would eventually be returned to the state.

“No one mentioned they had a change of heart or why,” said Marten.

HNN Investigates asked about a recent conversation she had with military officials about the land last month. She confirmed a conversation did take place at a restoration advisory board meeting.

“That’s right,” she responded. “And as always I was very transparent about my interest in that land. And nothing. Nothing mentioned. I would love to hear why they changed their mind.”

HNN Investigates

HNN asked the Air Force to elaborate on why it decided to keep the land.

In a statement, a spokesperson responded:

“The world has changed much since the 2021 Hawaii Military Land Use Master Plan was published and operational requirements for training areas, development, etc. are more important than ever.”

Meanwhile, Marten says the plan for a clean-up on the makai portion of the parcel is still a go.

“I think it’s important to clean it up, no matter who controls it right now,” Marten said.

She said a final design for that clean-up is set to be published in December.

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