Hawaii State House Special Committee Visits Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

Photo By Spc. Matthew Mackintosh | Defense Logistics Agency Energy East Pacific Commander, U.S. Navy Cmdr. William Jakubowicz, guides the Hawaii House Special Committee to Red Hill (HSCRH) during a tour of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Halawa, Hawaii, Apr. 12, 2023. The visit provided the HSCRH and Mr. Luke Meyers of the Governor’s Water Committee an opportunity to meet with key leaders on the status of Red Hill including defueling, closure and remediation. The HSCRH is a seven-member committee whose purpose is to address issues related to Red Hill, water contamination and remediation, and all related impacts. The governor’s committee monitors the progress on the Red Hill timeline and provides the people of Hawaii with regular updates and status reports. (DoD photo by U.S. Army Spc. Matthew Mackintosh)  

HONOLULU, HI, UNITED STATES

04.12.2023

Story by Capt. Kitsana Dounglomchan 

Joint Task Force Red Hill

HONOLULU – Joint Task Force – Red Hill (JTF-Red Hill) hosted the Hawaii State House Special Committee on Red Hill and Mr. Luke Meyers of the Governor’s Water Committee for a tour of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) today. The visit provided committee members an opportunity to meet with key leaders and receive briefings on the status of Red Hill including defueling, closure and remediation.

“We welcomed the opportunity to host the Hawaii State House Special Committee on Red Hill members and a representative of the governor’s office at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of JTF-Red Hill. “We’re grateful to the Special Committee for the opportunity to share information and for their feedback.”

The House Special Committee on Red Hill is a seven-member special committee whose purpose is to address issues related to the RHBFSF, water contamination and remediation, and all related impacts. The governor’s committee monitors the progress on the Red Hill timeline and provides the people of Hawaii with regular updates and status reports.

Hawaii State Representative Linda Ichiyama, House District 31, said the visit allowed the committee to better understand the set of issues the military faces.

“I appreciate the opportunity to tour the Red Hill facility with my colleagues and learn more about the work being done by JTF-Red Hill [and Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command] to defuel safely and set the conditions for closure,” said Rep. Linda Ichiyama (House District 31 – Salt Lake, Aliamanu, Makalapa, Pearl Harbor), Co-Chair of the House Special Committee on Red Hill.

Hawaii State Representative Nicole Lowen (House District 7 -- North Kona, South Kohala), Co-Chair of the House Special Committee on Red Hill, said she wanted the tour to provide the Committee a complete picture of what JTF-Red Hill is doing to safely defuel the facility and how the military is working solutions to the entire Red Hill problem set.

“This tour inside the Red Hill facility provided us more insight on what's happening at Red Hill and what remains to be done, from defueling to remediation to closure,” said Lowen. “The Committee will continue this oversight to ensure that Red Hill facility is shut down properly and the military does the right thing for the environment and to ensure safe drinking water for the people of Hawaii.”

The Navy submitted the Red Hill Tank Closure Plan to the Hawaii Department of Health in November 2022 and continues to provide to regulators supplemental information with details on the steps involved in the process.

“Our work toward closure continues while the JTF focuses on the defueling,” said Rear Adm. Steve Barnett, commander, Navy Region Hawaii. “Our priority remains safety as we protect the environment and keep the community informed.”

The next supplement on closure is due in late May, and Navy’s current efforts include and ongoing analysis of structural integrity of the tanks, and post-closure monitoring and maintenance of the facility.

JTF-Red Hill is committed to working with regulators and government to ensure Red Hill is defueled safely, expeditiously, and in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, policies and regulations.

For more information about JTF-Red Hill, please visit https://www.pacom.mil/JTF-Red-Hill/.

For more information about Navy Region Hawaii and Red Hill, please visit https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Operations-and-Management/Red-Hill/.

• Date Taken: 04.12.2023
• Date Posted: 04.12.2023 23:31
• Story ID: 442525
• Location: HONOLULU, HI, US