Schatz To Navy Secretary: Do Not Delay Red Hill Defueling, Help Impacted Residents Get The Health Care They Need
Navy Secretary Commits To Following Defueling Timeline, Helping Impacted Families With Health Care
WASHINGTON – Today, at a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on staying on track with the Red Hill defueling timeline and secured his commitment to working with state and local partners to help impacted residents get the health care they need.
“Are we on track for defueling Red Hill?” Schatz asked Secretary Del Toro in today’s hearing.
Del Toro responded, “We are very much on track for defueling Red Hill. As you know, we have submitted our closure plan for Red Hill.”
Schatz continued questioning Del Toro, asking “Do I have your commitment to make sure that the Navy works with state and local partners on the health care aspect of this, as well as the environmental remediation?”
Del Toro responded, “Senator, you’ve always had my commitment on that subject, and you will continue to have my commitment on that subject – working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and DHA in particular to ensure that servicemembers and also the people of Hawai‘i have the services they need from a health care perspective moving forward.”
Video of Senator Schatz’s exchange with Secretary Del Toro is available here.
###