‘This water isn’t theirs’: Scores hold signs to protest Navy’s response to well contamination

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than 100 community members gathered in front of the federal building in Honolulu on Friday to call for swift action to address the Navy’s water crisis.

“This water isn’t theirs,” said Kawenaulaokala Kapahua, the organizer for Koa Futures.

“It’s all of ours and yet they have the audacity to store their chemicals near our water to poison our land, our natural resources. They’ve shown they’re willing to poison their own families as well.”

The Navy says petroleum has been detected in its Red Hill well, which feeds its system. Some 93,000 customers use the Navy system and have been advised not to drink the water.

“Families deserve emergency aid and care from the Navy,” said Rebekah Garrison, an organizer for Hawaii Peace and Justice, one of the groups that came out to the sign waving.

“They deserve answers and they deserve justice. But the full extent of the damage is still not known.”

Demonstrators said the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility should be shut down all together. They feel the Navy has not been responsible for their actions, and they want them to be held accountable.

Next week, the secretary of the Navy is expected in Honolulu for the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. The community leaders want a chance to meet with him about the situation.

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