Radiation low at Kaneohe sandbar

The public will be allowed on the sandbar at Kaneohe Bay this holiday weekend despite concerns about low levels of radiation in the area, state Department of Land and Natural Resources Director William Aila said.

Aila made the declaration after officials from the state Health Department’s Indoor and Radiological Health Branch traveled to the sandbar off Heeia Kea Pier and were able to measure only background levels of radiation during a survey of the air from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

Testing was prompted by warnings from environmental watchdog Carroll Cox earlier this week that military officials failed to notify the state or the public about the radiation released when a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter crashed March 29 at the edge of the sandbar. One Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii was killed and three others were injured in the crash landing.

Cox said he learned of the contamination from military sources.

But Aila said tests showed no proof of anything unhealthy or unsafe in the vicinity of the crash. "We have no evidence of any radioactive material there, and of course this is not the perfect test for that area, but it’s what we could do at this point," Aila said. "The conditions are such that even if there were (radioactive material), the conditions are such that there’s enough water and enough protective conditions."

Aila said that as long the sandbar remains submerged, as it is scheduled to do through most of September due to tidal conditions, the public is safe from any radiation contamination.

Jeffrey Eckerd, radiation section supervisor for the Indoor and Radiological Health Branch, led a team of about half a dozen investigators armed with geiger counters as they combed the air just above sea level for a good portion of the sand bar.

The equipment is not designed to measure below the water, officials said.

"What we were getting today from all the areas that we swept were only natural, background radiation levels. Therefore, we presume that there’s not a health hazard," Eckerd said. He added that his staff wants to return for additional measurements when tidal conditions are more favorable.

Nonetheless, he said, the measurements would have to be 1,000 times more than what were detected Friday for it to even be considered a potential cause for concern, he said.

In an email to the Star-Advertiser on Thursday, Marine Corps Base Hawaii said there was no public safety hazard.

"The low levels of radiation previously detected pose no significant health or environmental risk and were not of a reportable quantity," Marine Corps Base Hawaii said. "No radiological contamination was found at the site."

Both Aila and Eckerd said Friday afternoon that they had not yet heard again from the military since being made aware of the contaminants by Cox earlier this week. "It’s a very serious concern and we did let them know in very stern terms that we did not appreciate not being notified," Aila said. He said he hopes procedures can be put in place for the future.

"We would always like to be notified because then we can take actions to make sure that the public is protected," Eckerd said. "This kind of issue could have been precluded if we were involved early on to validate that the cleanup was done correctly and that there were no harmful levels and everything is safe. Now, we’re coming back months later not knowing anything that was going on. It would really be nice to be notified."

Cox commended state officials for taking quick action but said he is not satisfied that the sandbar is safe. "It was just a cursory effort, it really wasn’t conclusive enough but it was a good start," Cox said. "It really wasn’t extensive enough."

The inspectors were not equipped to measure precisely where the helicopter crashed or where pieces of debris ended up, he said.

Cox said he is also skeptical with the state’s assertions that contamination is not a concern so long as the area at issue is under water. "That’s conjecture," he said.

A thorough surveillance needs to be done by an independent third party funded by the military, he said.

Cox said he has been told that Marines who worked on the cleanup of the crash site have been contaminated. Cox said he was trying to make contact with those Marines.

Neither the news of the contamination nor the swarm of inspectors and reporters at the sandbar seemed to deter boaters whose presence steadily grew as the start of the Labor Day weekend proceeded.

Robert Creamer, 56, a former Marine Corps Base Hawaii helicopter pilot, said it was a good idea for the state to test the area for contamination to alleviate any concerns. "But I don’t think they’re going to find anything that’s reportable," the Manoa resident said. "Still, better safe than sorry."