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- Red Hill water crisis
Problems
Fuel leak on Red Hill
The Red Hill Water Crisis is a public health and environmental crisis caused by a fuel leak from an underground fuel storage facility on Red Hill into the freshwater aquifer under the island of Oʻahu, which is located in Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. This fuel spill occurred in January 2014, and its effects are still being felt today. Experts estimate that about 27,000 gallons (about 102,000 liters) of fuel leaked out of the storage facility and into the water.
Impact on the ecology and biocoenosis of the Pacific Ocean
The Red Hill fuel spill has seriously affected the island's ecology and surrounding waters in the Pacific Ocean. Fuel that entered the freshwater aquifer contaminates groundwater and also affects marine animals and birds that may come into contact with contaminated water or eat contaminated fish. Fuels contain hazardous chemicals such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, which can be toxic to animals and plants. In addition, these chemicals can have negative effects on human health if they consume in contaminated water. Benzene can cause various diseases in animals, such as liver and kidney disorders, nervous system disorders, anemia, and other immune system disorders. At the same time, marine animals such as fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and other mammals can die from the toxic effects of benzene. In addition, benzene can accumulate in animals and be transmitted through the food chain, which can lead to poisoning and threaten the health of people who consume seafood.
Actions to address the disaster
The fuel spill situation at Red Hill is now under control, and government agencies, environmental groups, and local organizations continue to work to assess the environmental impact of the spill and clean up contaminated land and water. Efforts to clean up contaminated land and water on Red Hill have included many activities, including removing contaminated soil and water, controlling water and land quality, monitoring ecosystem conditions, and working with residents to prevent additional contamination. However, the fuel spill at Red Hill may continue to impact the environment and the health of residents for an extended period. The situation at the site still requires attention and monitoring to minimize environmental and health risks.
Gallery
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Timelines
2023
October
A community group in Hawaii is asking the Navy to investigate an uptick in reports of water contamination in households near Pearl Harbor that were affected by a jet fuel spill in late 2021. The Community Representative Initiative — a 10-member group established to liaise directly with the Navy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Defense Logistics Agency — also called on the Navy to begin testing “hot water tanks in housing on the water distribution line.” The group was established to oversee community concerns related to defueling and closing the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, as well as water safety issues arising from the site.
April
The U.S. government, which is facing a torrent of lawsuits over the Red Hill tainted water crisis, is asking a federal judge to consolidate the cases. A Navy spokesperson told Atmos in an emailed statement that the Navy recovered “the vast majority” of the chemicals and that the Navy collects weekly groundwater samples from nine wells to monitor PFAS contamination. The results are published publicly online on the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Safe Waters website. However, the Navy is still awaiting some sample results and guidance from the Department of Health. It urges concerned residents to call its emergency operations center. The Navy projects it won’t start the refueling process until 2024. The facility’s closure may not come until 2027.
February
Hawai’i’s water crisis is not only ongoing—it’s worsening. Though the public’s worries initially focused on jet fuel exposure, they are now increasingly worried about PFAS, too. PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, is a group of toxic “forever chemicals” that remain indefinitely in the environment and are found in products like non-stick cookware and water-resistant clothes. These chemicals have been linked to health effects like liver damage and cancer. And they’ve been detected in O’ahu’s groundwater. Environmentalists are no longer counting on the government. They’ve been forced to take matters into their own hands. The military isn’t protecting the people of O’ahu. Instead, it is jeopardizing their very existence.
2022
March 07
Meanwhile, the Navy challenged the Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Emergency Order, arguing that the department exceeded its emergency powers and authority. Finally, after weeks of pushback, the Pentagon announced the closure of the facility on March 7th, 2022. However, the situation is far from over and is just one example of the troubling history between the military and the environment both on the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere.
February 18
President Biden signed a bill into law that included $100 million for the defueling of Red Hill.
2021
December 06
The Navy acknowledged that their water system was seriously contaminated with petroleum products on December 2, and began evacuating residents from affected military housing areas the following day. About 4,000 families moved into nearby hotels since their tap water at home was unusable.
November 29
Hundreds of families, living on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) and the Army's Aliamanu Military Reservation and Red Hill Housing, reported petroleum odors coming from residential tap water supplied by the U.S. Navy water system; there were also reports of health issues arising from the contaminated drinking water. Approximately 93,000 U.S. Navy water system users are impacted, many of whom remain in temporary housing due to the drinking water crisis. DOH issued a notice on November 29 advising Navy water system users to stop drinking and using their tap water.
November 20
The fuel sat in the drain line for the next six months, until a cart crashed into the drain line on November 20, 2021, rupturing the drain line and releasing the fuel, where it then flowed into the ground surrounding the facility and into the aquifer. The November 20 leak occurred approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) from a well that provided water for the Navy water system.
May 06
Approximately 20,000 U.S. gallons (76,000 liters) of fuel leaked from a storage tank at the Red Hill facility when an operator error caused a pressure surge within a pipeline in the facility, which in turn caused the pipeline to rupture and leak fuel. Most of the leaked fuel then flowed into a drain line that was part of the facility's fire suppression system.