By Associated Press - Thursday, November 21, 2019

HONOLULU (AP) - A U.S. Marine Corps plan to install a steel barrier to protect part of a Honolulu training facility from beach erosion has raised concerns among neighbors and advocates.

Residents near Ewa Beach are seeking further study of the environmental impact of a proposed 1,500-foot (457-meter) barrier, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday.

The Marines have said modifications are needed at the Puuloa Range Training Facility to protect a training range shoreline from erosion.

The Marines produced a “finding of no significant impact” for the plan for boundaries along long-distance and short-distance ranges.

“No significant impacts are expected to adjacent shoreline areas” due to sand transport, buffer areas and design elements that would minimize impacts, the Marine Corps report said.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz called on the Marines Tuesday to review the environmental impact of its plan to build the retaining wall.

“It is incumbent that the Marine Corps explore long-term resilience benefits for the Puuloa Range Training Facility that avoid unnecessary environmental impacts on Hawaii’s beaches and the residents of Ewa Beach,” Schatz wrote.

A change.org petition signed by more than 1,100 people as of Tuesday seeks a thorough environmental impact statement analysis beyond the less robust environmental assessment already conducted.

Although the Marine Corps’ plan is to drive the steel material that will create the barrier into sand and coral so about a foot (30 centimeters) is visible, Ewa Beach resident Mike Plowman said when sand is displaced it will become a sea wall.

“And how that is going to affect the Ewa Beach shoreline is undetermined,” Plowman said.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com

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