Support the Board of Water Supply’s call for action after the recent contaminate findings

This week the Navy, along with the Department of Health, dedicated a significant amount of energy trying to suggest that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) detected at the Board of Water Supply's ‘Aiea wells could have come from other sources and not necessarily from the Red Hill fuel spill(s) - all in an apparent effort to resist calls from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and Red Hill Community Representation Initiative (CRI) to step up the Navy's groundwater monitoring and modeling efforts.

To be clear: we do not know where the contamination from Red Hill may be going because of the Navy's own failure to install sufficient monitoring wells or working groundwater and contaminant fate and transport models, as required under the 2015 Administrative Order on Consent.  

Moreover, regardless of where these PAH may be coming from - whether from the Red Hill Facility, military oily waste pits, former army facilities, or the plantations that seized control of our islands and ‘āina with the help of the US military - there is contamination in our aquifer. Contamination that is from unknown source(s), in unknown location(s), and moving in unknown directions. To prevent the catastrophic contamination of our drinking water system, and to best protect local farms and cultural sites, we need the Navy to conduct the frequent and robust testing and other actions that the Board of Water Supply and Red Hill CRI are calling for.

Next week you can learn more about this situation from Board of Water Supply technical experts and voice your support for the Board of Water Supply’s call for action. Please attend or Zoom in and let the Board of Water Supply know - we have their back in their calls for vigilance and protection.

Monday, August 26, 2pm
Honolulu Board of Water Supply Board Meeting
In-person or on Zoom 
Boardroom, Public Service Building, 630 South Beretania Street, Honolulu

Agenda here, with meeting materials here. You can also watch the meeting live here.

Read the BWS letter here and the CRI letter to the Congressional delegation here.

Sample testimony:

Aloha Board of Water Supply,

Mahalo for always putting our wai and our people first. I fully support your call for action following the recent PAH detections in the aquifer under ʻAiea and appreciate your continued commitment to protecting O‘ahu's drinking water.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

And if you have not yet, take a moment now to ask Congress to ensure that the US Navy and Department of Defense take immediate action to give us all a better idea of where and how Red Hill contamination may be threatening our water sources.