(BIVN) – Two public meetings and an open house concerning the Former Waikoloa Maneuver Area will be held in the South Kohala area on Wednesday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to present the remedial investigation plans for Munitions Response Sites Sector 16 and Sector at the following public meetings:

Sector 17 A-F, Project 21: Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. at the Mauna Kea Resort, Kaunaʻoa Ballroom (62-100 Kaunaʻoa Drive, Kohala Coast, HI 96743)

Sector 16 A-E, Project 20: Oct. 25 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Waimea Elementary School Cafeteria (67-1225 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd. Waimea, HI 96743)

According to the Army Corps:

During this phase of the CERCLA process, contracted field teams will be collecting data to determine the nature and extent of munitions use. Activities will include vegetation clearance to facilitate access and use of digital geophysical mapping and handheld metal detectors. Hand digging of potential items may be necessary in some areas which may require resident evacuations. USACE and contract representatives will present details on the remedial investigation schedule and methodology. Representatives from Hawaiʻi Department of Health and the contractor will also be available to answer questions. The public is encouraged to attend in-person or online.

Sector 16 A-E, Project 20 a Formerly Used Defense Site, is 6,600.9 acres in the northwest section of the WMA adjacent to Kawaihae Road which forms the southern boundary. The northern boundary is the Kohala foothills. The western extent is at Kawaihae Harbor and the Pacific Ocean to the east the town of Waimea. Current as of October 2023.

Sector 17 A-F, Project 21, a Formerly Used Defense Site, is 6,874.6 acres in the western area of the Former Waikoloa Maneuver Area, bounded to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, to the north by Kawaihae Road, and extends south to Anaehoomalu Bay. Current as of October 2023.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also be holding a Right of Entry Open House the same day, October 25, at the USACE Waimea Field Office at the Parker Ranch Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From the USACE:

Who should attend? WMA property owners or individuals who have recently received a ROE request letter in the mail from USACE for Waikoloa Maneuver Area Sector 16 and/or Sector 17.

Why? USACE representatives will be available to accept completed ROE paperwork, answer questions about the project or assist with the ROE documents.

A valid form of identification is required to confirm association with the parcel.

Why does USACE need a Signed Right of Entry? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to determine whether there are military munitions present in the area as a result of the former use of Waikoloa Maneuver Area, Hawaii Island. To accomplish this, we need access to properties. Permission to enter a property is granted through a signed document known as a Right of Entry. A Right of Entry is also referred to as an ROE which is a legal document that gives USACE permission to be on a property for specific purposes, such as soil sampling, investigating for munitions, or conducting clean up actions.

Signing the ROE enables USACE to proceed in a methodical fashion in fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment.

For more information about the WMA Program or to view maps of Sector 16 or 17 visit (this website).

BACKGROUND: The Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites (DERP-FUDS) is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the DoD. Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) are real property that were under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense and owned by, leased by, or otherwise possessed by the United States and were transferred from Department of Defense control prior to October 17, 1986. USACE Honolulu District is coordinating closely with the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) as projects are being addressed in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).