Additional $1.1 billion allocated for Red Hill crisis
A petroleum release from an underground tank at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility in Hawaii contaminated groundwater that was a source of drinking water for nearly 100,000 residents. The incident highlights the potential threats to drinking water and the challenges of remediating the problem.
A leaking storage tank can have lasting impacts. Many of the affected Red Hill individuals that participated in a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reported symptoms lasting longer than 30 days. It is crucial that tank owners and operators properly manage any underground storage tanks (USTs). Remember that owners and operators among other actions must:
- Have a periodic test conducted by a qualified cathodic protection tester to make sure the cathodic protection system is sufficiently protecting the UST system;
- Conduct walkthrough inspections at your UST facility;
- Have overfill prevention equipment inspected at least once every three years;
- Test spill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping installed after October 13, 2015, for liquid tightness at installation and then once every three years; and
- Test electronic and mechanical components of your release detection equipment for appropriate operation at least annually.
The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility supports military operations in the Pacific. It can store up to 250 million gallons of fuel. There are 20 steel lined tanks, encased in concrete, and built into the depressions that were mined inside of Red Hill. In January 2014 up to 27,000 gallons of jet fuel released from a tank. The tanks are located 100 feet above an aquifer that supplies 20 percent of O’ahu’s drinking water.
In late November 2021 the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) received complaints of a fuel-like odor coming from the Navy’s water system. On December 1, 2021, DOH confirmed the presence of petroleum in the water. The fuel leak affected nearly 100,000 military and civilian residents. Many became sick with an array of physical illnesses. It displaced thousands from their homes. The CDC and ATSDR survey showed that of the participants, 87 percent reported at least one new or worsening health symptom.
In mid-June 2022 the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations approved another $1.1 billion to respond to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility crisis in Hawaii. This is in addition to a previous bill of $1.1 billion for Current Fiscal Year 2022 that was already approved.
On March 7, 2022, the Secretary of Defense announced that the military would permanently defuel and close Red Hill. The funding will ensure timely closure of the fuel storage facility.
Proper management of USTs can help prevent a similar disaster like what happened at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.