Kaneohe Marines, Air Force personnel and Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono will be at a brief blessing ceremony tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. to mark completion of the clean-up of a former landfill at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, the Marines said today in a news release.

The landfill, known as "LF24" was located on property previously assigned to the U.S. Air Force, then transferred to the Marine Corps in 1999. As part of the transfer process, the Air Force was required to conduct environmental investigations.

These investigations determined the site was not eligible for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) funding. The Marine Corps then requested funding to remove the landfill in order to use the previously unusable training area, as well as prevent any buried refuse at the site from unintentionally eroding into the ocean.

Waimanalo residents lobbied the military services to clean up the site, and the requested funds were eventually made available in August, 2007, when Hirono helped earmark $2M in Marine Corps funds to clean up the World War II era landfill. The Marines received the $2M in December 2007 and immediately transferred these funds to the Air Force, whose familiarity with the site and expertise were well documented.

The Air Force selected CH2M Hill as the contractor for the clean-up based on their qualifications and familiarity with the site. Part of the contract emphasized sub-contracting local small businesses. In all, of the 13 sub-contractors used for the project, 11 were based in Waimanalo or the Hawaiian Islands.

The Air Force's Environmental Restoration department at Hickam Air Force Base led the project and hosted Marines from Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the Hawaii Dept. of Health, members of the Waimanalo community and other key organization personnel as part of a Key Stakeholders Working Group which helped with project oversight.