Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation Urges Governor Ige To Request Emergency Declaration, EPA Intervention In Water Contamination Crisis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) and Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hawai‘i) called on Governor David Ige to request that President Biden declare an emergency and direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to step in and assist with the water contamination crisis on Oahu.

“The EPA’s direct intervention in your request is essential,” the delegation wrote in their letter to Ige. “While the source of the contamination affecting the drinking water is still unknown, it is important that the public have confidence in the process that the Navy and Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) are using to draw samples from the Navy’s water system to ensure the results show the true extent of the problem that threatens the health and safety of the people of Hawai‘i. The EPA has the expertise to validate the techniques and procedures that the Navy and DOH are using to draw their samples, and it can direct them to take corrective actions where appropriate. It can also draw its own samples to compare against as we work to identify, isolate, and fix the source of the contamination affecting the drinking water.”

The full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.

Dear Governor Ige:

We write regarding the contamination of drinking water impacting the communities of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Aliamanu Military Reservation, and Red Hill and urge you to immediately request that President Biden declare an emergency and to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and all other appropriate federal agencies to respond to this crisis.

Including the EPA’s direct intervention in your request is essential. While the source of the contamination affecting the drinking water is still unknown, it is important that the public have confidence in the process that the Navy and Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) are using to draw samples from the Navy’s water system to ensure the results show the true extent of the problem that threatens the health and safety of the people of Hawai‘i. The EPA has the expertise to validate the techniques and procedures that the Navy and DOH are using to draw their samples, and it can direct them to take corrective actions where appropriate. It can also draw its own samples to compare against as we work to identify, isolate, and fix the source of the contamination affecting the drinking water.

We are also troubled that the Navy has said that it does not have a “realistic timeline” for restoring safe drinking water, leaving impacted families in limbo as they continue to struggle with daily activities—such as cooking, bathing their children, and doing laundry. Given the indeterminate duration that this crisis could persist, the State of Hawai‘i must continue to assess additional potential areas for federal agency intervention as they are warranted.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this as we work together to address this ongoing crisis.

Sincerely,

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