DOH officially rejects Navy’s plan to defuel Red Hill, saying it lacks needed detail

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state Department of Health announced Tuesday that it has rejected the Navy’s plan to defuel the Red Hill underground storage tanks, citing a lack of details.

DOH told Hawaii News Now earlier this month it was planning to reject the plan, but the DOH recently wrote a letter to the Navy explaining why it disapproved of it.

In the letter, DOH said the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility Hawaii Defueling Plan lacks essential detail and specificity needed to determine if it will be safe.

Related Coverage:

• State lawmakers blast Navy on ‘incomplete’ plan to defuel Red Hill
• Dramatic video shows fuel rapidly spilling out at Navy’s Red Hill facility
• Report: Major repairs needed to Red Hill facility in order to safely empty fuel tanks

DOH said in its general comments that elements of the plan were “partially complete” or “ongoing” and it did not include proper time for the DOH to review it, which is required by the critical path management project schedule.

As for repairing the drains, DOH recognizes that the Navy is looking at alternative designs for the restoration, but that discussion was not included in the submitted plan.

DOH set a deadline for the Navy to resubmit its plan on Sept. 7. The Navy said it would resubmit its plan by the end of August.

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