HI SCR47

Kunia Field Station, an underground facility constructed during World War II on Oahu, was exposed to pesticides, herbicides, fumigants, and other toxic substances from nearby pineapple agriculture (approximately 1940 to 2008).

A 1977 chemical spill and 1991 flood exposed the facility and drinking water to toxic substances including ethylene dibromide (EDB), a probable human carcinogen; EPA reports in 1992 and Navy/NSA reports in 2000 documented contaminants including arsenic, lead, and fungal contamination.

Many veterans stationed at Kunia Field Station have developed cancer, neurological conditions, dementia, and other chronic illnesses, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has not recognized toxic exposure at the site.

The resolution urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize a presumptive service connection for chronically ill Kunia Field Station veterans and provide medical care and long-term services regardless of their ability to prove toxic exposure.

Certified copies are to be transmitted to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force, and Hawaii's congressional delegation.