Protesters call for an end to live-fire training at Pohakuloa

BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Live-fire drills at the Pohakuloa Training Area were the focus of protests Wednesday.

A handful of demonstrators gathered to call for an end to the bombing in the area.

Critics say the 23,000 acre training area between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa is being neglected, and has only been inspected by the state once in 51 years.

"This is dangerous for the islands, the whole planet and all of our children," Big Island resident Shauna Krystin said.

Krystin was one of the protesters who showed up to voice concern over the treatment of the land, and the health and safety hazards the training presents.

Protesters sign waved in the area for about four hours, Krystin said.

In 1965, Pohakuloa was leased to the U.S. government for $1 a year. The area has also been the site of live-fire training since World War II.