Sen. Schatz and Congressmen Kahele, Case introduce legislation to permanently shut down Navy’s Red Hill storage facility
United States Sen. Brian Schatz introduced legislation to shut down the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility permanently.
“Together we will work to secure federal funding to defuel, conduct congressional oversight and push for legislation. Our bicameral bill will help us in our fight to protect our water and shut down Red Hill,” said Sen. Schatz in a statement.
Schatz’s legislation followed a “companion legislation” introduced by Hawaii Congressmen Kai Kahele and Ed Case. They introduced and discussed this in a news conference that happened around 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Hawaii State Capitol.
The federal legislation was introduced in the United States Congress and is called “The Red Hill Watershed and Aquifer Initiative (WAI) Act of 2022.”
“I support our military, and understand fully our need to remain strong and prepared… But that cannot excuse Red Hill’s harm to thousands of my constituents, nor justify the ongoing risk it poses to our drinking water under its current or any future configuration and operation as a bulk fuel storage facility.” - Congressman Ed Case
The WAI Act of 2022 would do and authorize the following:
- Stop all fuel operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii;
- All bulk storage tanks at Red Hill will be defueled by the end of 2022;
- The facility will be permanently closed in accordance with “current practices recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency;”
- Funding will be authorized for the Navy to “address and perform environmental remediation” for the spill that happened in November 2021 and any others that occurred;
- Require the Navy to create water treatment and testing facilities;
- Require the Navy to give Congress monthly reports on the defueling process and progress;
- The Navy would have to reimburse the state, Department of Health, Department of Education and Honolulu Water Supply for costs related to the water contamination.
"Too many people have suffered and are still suffering as a direct result of the fuel leaks at Red Hill – this is unacceptable. I have spoken to many families who describe serious illnesses after cooking, bathing, or ingesting tainted water. And still, after several months, there are thousands of families that remain displaced – unable to return to their homes. I will continue to do everything I can to help protect the people and the island of Oʻahu and our most precious natural resource, our wai.” - Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele
On Monday, Feb. 7, Schatz secured $100 million in federal funds to cover the cost of defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. He also directed for the Department of Defense (DoD) to comply with the State of Hawai’i’s emergency public health order.
