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Space Force Says It May Take 7 Years to Clean Up a Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaii Volcano

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Space Force Says It May Take 7 Years to Clean Up a Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaii Volcano


The Space Force says environmental remediation efforts that include returning sacred soil back to a volcano in Hawaii after 700 gallons of fuel spilled at an observatory on the grounds in 2023 could take as long as seven years to complete.

“We’re moving as fast as the process allows us, but we’re doing so with minimal disruption to that environment,” Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, commander of Space Forces Indo-Pacific, told Military.com during an Air and Space Forces Association conference in Colorado last week. “So, that’s kind of key, and sometimes we forget that there’s a balance there.”

A week after Mastalir’s comments, a Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson, who didn’t attribute a name to the statement saying the information came from several groups, confirmed with more details that it could take as long as 2032 for the contamination to be fully cleaned up.

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“The estimated time to reach the levels where the contamination will not pose a hazard is three to seven years and will be confirmed with periodic testing throughout that process,” the Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson said.

More than two years ago, on Jan. 29, 2023, a diesel fuel pump for a backup generator at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex located atop the more than 10,000-foot summit of Haleakalā broke, spilling hundreds of gallons of fuel onto the ground. The incident not only harmed trust with the Maui community, it marked the latest in military environmental contamination within Hawaii as a whole.

As cleanup efforts have dragged on for two years and could stretch on for nearly a decade since the original spill, the local Maui community has voiced its concerns — and the Space Force is planning a new project that would expand its footprint on Haleakalā by adding seven more telescopes atop the dormant volcano.

The Maui County Council said in a June 20 resolution that “erecting even more telescopes

on Haleakalā — when the military has yet to complete cleanup and soil-remediation efforts within the same footprint — would be insulting.”

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The summit of Haleakalā is considered a sacred place and is often used for religious ceremonies and prayers to the native Hawaiian gods, the council said in its resolution.

Benjamin Silva, a Maui County Council spokesperson, told Military.com on Friday that the June resolution passed unanimously but also added “the council is not scheduled to take further action on the matter.”

The Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson told Military.com that the Hawaii State Department of Health recently approved a plan to remediate the soil from the fuel spill that called for “active bioventing,” a process using blowers to bring air into the ground to break down contaminants.

“Workers will install bioventing wells while the actual bioventing system is being constructed off-site; the bioventing system will be brought to the site when complete,” the spokesperson said. “An electrical system is scheduled for installation in April, paving the way for system start up and testing later that month.”

As the remediation process for the 2023 fuel spill continues, an environmental impact statement is also being drafted for the creation of the Air Force Maui Optical Supercomputing Site Small Telescope Advanced Research Center, nicknamed AMOS-STAR.

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The Department of the Air Force, which oversees the Space Force, heard over 600 local Hawaiians testify about their concerns over the project and the disturbance it may cause. The environmental impact statement is set to be made public this year and will include eight weeks of public hearings and comments from the community.

“We work very closely with the mayor, with the council down in Maui, with the governor to be able to explain why these capabilities are not just important to Hawaii, they’re important for national security,” Mastalir told Military.com. “We’ll continue to share that message and work with Maui County and work with local officials to understand where we can find common ground.”

Mastalir added they were ensuring they could “do everything we can to make this, this process, as painless as possible.”

The Space Base Delta 1 spokesperson also added that a new “Maui Council of Environmental Stewardship” is being created that will have members from state government and the community as well as the Air Force leaders “to discuss the issues at various Maui sites.”

It’s unclear what environmental or cultural effects will ultimately be taken into account or whether the dialogue will continue with native Hawaiians as the Department of Defense and President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency have reportedly planned to cut climate-related programs and have already started to disband programs related to diversity and cultural education within the ranks.

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“The [Department of Defense] does not do climate change crap,” Hegseth posted Sunday on X.

Related: Air Force Looks to Add Telescopes on Sacred Hawaii Volcano as Outrage Continues over Fuel Spill

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.

Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.

Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.

She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.

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She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.



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Hawaii gets nearly $190 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii gets nearly 0 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




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Hawaiian announces $600 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaiian announces 0 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

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Hawaiian Airlines today announced an investment of more than $600 million over five years to improve airport passenger areas across the state and interior upgrades to widebody aircraft.

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Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ahead of today’s announcement at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport that other improvements will include better apps, a better website that will make it easier for passengers to change flights, among other things that also include better integration with Alaska Airlines, which acquired Hawaiian in 2024, making it a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group.

“We have pushed a lot of change through the system for the last couple of months,” Rakow said. “We’re working on integrating our ticketing systems because right now we’re on two separate ticketing systems that don’t talk to each other.”

After late April, she said, booking on the shared Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air ticketing system “will be much more seamless.”

In announcing the renovations and changes, Hawaiian pledged “a significantly smoother guest experience … once Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines share the same passenger service system and Hawaiian Airlines joins the oneworld alliance, both scheduled for late April.”

Right now, Rakow acknowledged, “unfortunately there is some friction.”

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“There’s been so many changes and all of that friction is really painful,” she said. “We are committed to making sure we are addressing the issues. … We are certainly not perfect, but we are committed to working together. … Really, after April, it is going to improve significantly.”

Each island airport also will see renovated lobbies and gates designed to increase comfort, provide better seating and amenities such as improved power charging.

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Daniel K. Inouye International also will get a new 10,600-square-foot lounge at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1.

And starting in 2028, Hawaiian’s wide-body Airbus A330s will get new seats, carpets, lighting, business class suites, a Bluetooth-enabled in-flight entertainment system with high-definition screens and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Gov. Josh Green said in a statement ahead of today’s announcement that, “Hawaiian Airlines’ investment is exactly the kind of long-term commitment Hawaiʻi needs. Modern, welcoming airports improve the experience for residents and visitors alike, strengthen our economy and keep Hawaiʻi competitive as a global destination. We appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ partnership in advancing workforce development, regenerative tourism, clean energy, and community programs that reflect the values of our islands.”

The New Year began with a .75% increase in Hawaii’s Transient Accommodations Tax that will help the state fight climate change.

Rakow said that Hawaiian is working to better inform inbound passengers about how to respect Hawaii’s culture and environment.

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Hawaiian said it will continue to support “programs promoting regenerative tourism, culture and conservation.”

The airline also said it will fund grants to nonprofit organizations “promoting cultural programs, environmental preservation, and perpetuation of native Hawaiian art and language through the Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation.”




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