Navy personnel have removed missile debris from Hawaiian Home Lands on Kauaʻi, more than 60 years after it crash-landed. Volunteers from the Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands undertook a challenging journey to Niu Valley Ridge in Waimea to clear the site of an inert testing missile that was part of Operation Regulus.
On December 19, 2024, approximately 2,300 pounds of debris were collected and transported by Jack Harter Helicopters. The debris was then recycled at Resource Recovery Solutions in Līhuʻe. The debris was discovered in 2022 by a Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) lessee. Initial assessments by the Kauaʻi Police Department and Navy personnel found no environmental threat, while unexploded ordnance crews confirmed the absence of explosives.
Thomas Nizo, who played a significant role in the cleanup effort, expressed his commitment to this task as part of his responsibility or "kuleana." Nizo stated, “If can, can; if no can, how can? Getting to a ‘yes’ response is the goal!” He serves as PMRF’s deputy public works and stewardship officer and is notably the first native Hawaiian in this position.
The operation reflects PMRF's slogan "E pane mai ka nonoi o Nohili," emphasizing respect for Native Hawaiian cultural values. Operation Regulus involved missile launch and guidance training between 1956 and 1964 with unarmed missiles designed for reuse.
The DHHL praised Nizo and his team for their work aligning with Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole's mission to benefit the community. The removal allows better land use on DHHL-managed lands totaling over 14,500 acres in Waimea.
The department's Kauaʻi Island Plan focuses on residential and subsistence agricultural homesteads while promoting community spaces and conservation areas.