Military: Required repairs to defuel Red Hill tanks half complete, hundreds more remain

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The much-anticipated defueling of Red Hill is on hold until hundreds of required repairs are made to the aging facility.

About half of the required repairs at Red Hill are now complete, the military says.

253 repairs are needed in total and 129 are reportedly complete.

Another step in the process is set to start on April 17 — it’s called “dewatering.”

“Dewatering for Red Hill is the process separating water from the fuel and is essential to erosion prevention,” said Cmdr. Nico Melendez, the Public Affairs Chief of the Joint Task Force for Red Hill.

“Because the Red Hill fuel tanks vent into the atmosphere, condensation accumulates, resulting in water sinking to the bottom of the tanks. The water is removed through the tank’s bottom drain where it is constantly monitored through a sight glass so operators will know when the dewatering process is complete,” Melendez explained.

Officials announced on Tuesday, a new dashboard has been created online for people to track the defueling process.

Defueling the tanks is slated to be completed in mid-2024.

In addition to the repairs, the military said a response drill is scheduled to be held on Thursday.

Meanwhile, we are still awaiting the results of the investigation into the toxic firefighting foam spill from last November. Military officials say they pledge to release video once the investigation is complete.

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