MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- On Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, personnel from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) visited the Pu’uloa Range Training Facility (PRTF) alongside Marines and civilians from Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s (MCBH) Environmental Compliance and Protection Division (ECPD) and Safety office. The purpose of the visit was to begin a cooperative process between the DOH and MCBH toward analyzing conditions along the PRTF boundary, where state and federal jurisdictions meet, and about which public concerns have been raised within the media and at the Oct. 13 Ewa Neighborhood Board. DOH personnel were given a tour of the facility’s impact berms and the beach area directly seaward of the PRTF’s ranges. As a result of this initial site visit, MCBH and DOH personnel will be working to develop a more comprehensive process to move forward with together.
“As an installation, it is extremely important for us to ensure our range facility continues to operate for the sake of the readiness of our service members and local partners. This means that we have the obligation of ensuring that we continue to be environmentally responsible. I am extremely thankful that team members from the DOH came to visit and we look forward to working with them moving forward,” said Col. Speros C. Koumparakis, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
MCBH is aware of the concerns raised by the Surfrider Foundation of Oahu, and we share their concerns regarding the potential for future shoreline erosion at Pu'uloa. To address these issues, the base has taken shoreline erosion control mitigation measures, to include revegetation programs and the installation of erosion control mats. The base is actively monitoring erosion of the shoreline berms via contracted study multiple times a year. The results from these efforts to monitor and assess shoreline erosion will be used to develop and execute a comprehensive and appropriate response to help stabilize the shoreline along the PRTF.
The long-term sustainability of the PRTF is very important to the Marine Corps. It has served as a range facility since 1915 and is the primary rifle and pistol requalification venue for over 4,000 Marines annually. Additionally, the range facility supports the training requirements of other U. S. Armed Services and local law enforcement personnel. We are dedicated to ensuring that this important military and civilian training asset continues to operate in a safe and environmentally sound manner for many years to come.
Photos and video b-roll are available at: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/432228/hawaii-department-health-personnel-visit-marine-corps-puuloa-range-training-facility
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PDF: Hawaii Department of Health personnel visit the Marine Corps’ Pu’uloa Range Training Facility