Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, March 17, 2023
Pentagon: Red Hill Defueling on Track
By Selected News Articles @ 7:48 PM :: 1528 Views :: Environment, Military

Pentagon: Red Hill Defueling on Track, Joint Task Force Starting Environmental Assessment

by Heather Mongilio, USNI News, March 17, 2023

The Navy is on target to meet the July 2024 deadline to defuel the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii, the Department of Defense said Thursday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of the Joint Task Force – Red Hill, and other Navy and defense leaders this week to discuss the progress on defueling the bulk fuel storage facility.

In addition to Wade, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Indo-Pacific Command Adm. John Aquilino and Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante participated in the meeting with Austin.

Austin ordered the closure of Red Hill after a November 2021 leak caused fuel to get into the Hawaiian drinking water, affecting military families and local residents.

The Navy and Department of Defense plan to defuel Red Hill and then close it, with it potentially used later for other storage.

The Navy has continued to monitor water levels around Red Hill, while the Defense Department opened up health care resources for those affected by the contaminated water, according to a readout of Austin’s meeting with the other officials.

The Joint Task Force also announced this week that it would start an environmental assessment as part of defueling efforts.

“By understanding the possible environmental effects of our proposed actions, we will be able to use best practices and minimize impacts, ensuring we are good stewards of the environment,” Wade said in a Navy news release. “We will also ensure that the public is informed about any environmental effects considered in the decision-making process. This is the right thing to do.”

The environmental assessment is in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and is required before Red Hill can be defueled. The assessment will look at the potential environmental effects of relocating the fuel using a tanker ship, according to the news release.

A public comment period on the environmental assessment is expected to open on June 9.

---30---

Related: Haleakala Insanity: Secretary of Defense Briefed on 700 Gallon Fuel Spill

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT