Requesting The Reconvening Of The Working Group Established Pursuant To House Resolution No. 18, H.d. 1 (regular Session Of 2024) To Continue The Efforts To Address Issues Related To Water And Air Contamination And Remediation Arising From The Operation Of The Puuloa Range Training Facility.
HCR28 is a House Concurrent Resolution requesting that the working group created under House Resolution 18 (2024) be reconvened to continue studying and addressing water and air contamination, as well as remediation needs, associated with the Puuloa Range Training Facility in Ewa Beach, Oahu. The resolution describes the facility’s long history as a Marine Corps shooting range, its location within a residential neighborhood, and concerns that lead contamination from shooting-range berms could affect nearby soil, ocean waters, marine life, and surrounding homes through dust and stormwater.
The resolution also specifies that the working group should continue through June 30, 2027, and that the Department of Health should help facilitate the effort, given its contaminated-site and brownfields-related authority. It further requests that the House District 40 representative and the City and County of Honolulu District 9 councilmember serve as co-chairs, and that the Director of Health or designee join the group along with the members originally invited under HR18.
Because HCR28 is a concurrent resolution rather than a statute, it does not directly amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes or create enforceable regulatory requirements. Its practical effect is to extend an existing intergovernmental and community working group, broaden participation, and keep state and local agencies engaged in evaluating contamination and remediation options at and around the Puuloa Range Training Facility. The resolution highlights the Department of Health’s role, especially through its Hazards Evaluation and Emergency Response Office and related brownfields and Department of Defense-state agreement programs, but it remains advisory and coordination-focused rather than legally binding.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text and committee action is supportive and precautionary, with the resolution framed as a response to ongoing public health and environmental concerns. The available vote history shows unanimous passage in two Senate committees, both 3-0 and unamended, suggesting broad agreement on the need to continue the working group. The tone of the measure emphasizes community protection, environmental stewardship, and continued collaboration among state, local, military, and nonprofit stakeholders.
The main substantive concern underlying the resolution is the potential for lead contamination from the Puuloa Range Training Facility to migrate into the ocean, nearby neighborhoods, and stormwater systems, affecting residents and marine ecosystems. While the resolution itself does not present direct opposition, it implicitly reflects tension between the long-standing military use of the site and the surrounding community’s health and environmental concerns. The choice to involve the Department of Health and to elevate local community representation through designated co-chairs suggests that the bill seeks to balance technical remediation efforts with local accountability and stakeholder input.