The U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility sits just 100 feet above Oahu’s primary drinking water supply.
By Kathleen Wong, Prism
Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan conducted an inspection of the U.S. military’s World War II-era Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Honolulu to determine if it was operating in accordance with the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. On Monday, March 7, the Department of Defense announced plans to close the facility.
The announcement follows a months-long water contamination crisis caused by leaking military underground fuel tanks that have displaced around thousands of households in Honolulu’s Red Hill neighborhood and poisoned many. Meanwhile, the Navy has tried multiple attempts to keep the tanks running.
According to an EPA spokesperson, the Navy is currently pumping and treating impacted groundwater with granular activated carbon filters and conducting product skimming from the Navy’s Red Hill Shaft.
In November 2021, about 14,000 gallons of fuel and water were released from the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, which sits just 100 feet above Oahu’s primary drinking water supply, the Southern Oahu Basal Aquifer.
Recent Posts
It Looks Like Israel Wants To Start A Wider War
April 19, 2024
Take Action Now Provoking Iran is a strategy to distract from the ongoing slaughter of civilians in Gaza. by Stephen Zunes, The Progressive…
The U.S. Is Entering A New Phase Of Protest Suppression
April 19, 2024
Take Action Now Political repression is on the rise as the state finds new ways to criminalize dissent and collective action. by Adam Federman, In…
At UN Conference, Indigenous Peoples Say Little Has Changed After Promises Made A Decade Ago
April 19, 2024
Take Action Now Now, climate change is adding urgency to those pledges. By Anita Hofschneider, Grist In December, Catherine Muruparanga-Ikenn used…
Under UN Charter, Iran’s Attack Was A Legal Response To Israel’s Illegal Attack
April 19, 2024
Take Action Now Iran’s attack on Israel was lawful self-defense carried out in compliance with international humanitarian law. By Marjorie Cohn,…