Commander overseeing Red Hill’s defueling says plan remains ‘on track’

FILE - Overhead lights illuminate a tunnel inside the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage...
FILE - Overhead lights illuminate a tunnel inside the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Jan. 26, 2018. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Hawaii this week amid lingering community frustration and distrust after jet fuel from a military storage facility last year spilled into Pearl Harbor’s drinking water. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)(Shannon Haney | AP)
Published: Mar. 17, 2023 at 6:24 AM HST|Updated: Mar. 17, 2023 at 8:23 AM HST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Some of the nation’s top military leaders convened Thursday to discuss major issues, including the Red Hill defueling plan and the Haleakala diesel spill.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of the Air Force, the INDO-PACOM commander and the Joint Task Force Red Hill commander Vice Adm. John Wade.

According to Vice Adm. Wade, the defueling plan remains on track to begin operations in February 2024 and be completed by June 2024.

He said the task force is working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health.

Secretary Austin was also briefed on the diesel spill at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex on the summit of Haleakala.

RELATED COVERAGE:
Special Section: Red Hill Water Crisis

Read more about the Navy Water Crisis that has impacted thousands of families on Red Hill.

CDC to review medical records of military patients sickened by Red Hill fuel spills

The site visit comes after the CDC’s own Red Hill surveys showed many participants reported worse health after the 2021 fuel spill.

Army mom says she was left shaken by Navy secretary’s comments on tainted water crisis

“I’m not one to cry in uniform at all, but I had tears in my eyes."

Navy proposes defueling Red Hill but keeping tanks in place for ‘beneficial reuse’

"Beneficial reuse” might include storage or for hydroelectric uses.

In a press release, officials said:

The Department of the Air Force recognizes the cultural significance of the Haleakala summit and is proactively implementing a plan to mitigate the environmental impact of the leak. Secretary Austin reaffirmed his commitment to protect human health and the environment in Hawaii and emphasized that DoD leaders will continue to work closely with the Hawaii Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Hawaii state officials to ensure a timely and safe defueling and closure of the Red Hill facility.

The military released only a broad overview of the meeting and no other additional details were provided.

This story may be updated.