Court denies Health Department’s motion to dismiss, will evaluate state oversight of Red Hill Fuel Tanks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Marti Townsend, DirectorPhone: 808-372-1314Email: marti.townsend@sierraclub.org
Court denies Health Department’s motion to dismiss, will evaluate state oversight of Red Hill Fuel Tanks
HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI (December 5, 2017) -- A state court has authorized the Sierra Club’s lawsuit regarding the Red Hill fuel tanks to move forward. Circuit Court judge Jeffrey Crabtree denied the Health Department’s motion to dismiss the Sierra Club’s lawsuit last week.The Red Hill fuel tanks have leaked more than 200,000 gallons of fuel since they were built in 1943. A 1992 state law directed the Health Department to enact rules that would require existing underground storage tanks to be upgraded by 1999 to prevent releases of petroleum into the environment. Hawaiʻi’s Department of Health is responsible for regulating underground storage tanks and protecting our drinking water. Their current regulations, however, do not ensure underground storage tanks are properly upgraded. The Health Department admitted that storing up to 187 million gallons of fuel, a mere 100 feet above Oʻahu’s drinking water resource, is "inherently dangerous.” In a 2014 report to the legislature, the Health Department argued that the operation of this facility should only exist on the condition that the facility “be upgraded with secondary containment,” but the state has refused to enforce this standard. “The Navy cannot claim the Red Hill fuel tanks are a modern facility when it is not compliant with the state laws currently on the books,” said Marti Townsend, Director for the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. “Antiquated, leaky tanks like Red Hill pose an unacceptable risk to our groundwater and must be immediately upgraded or shutdown.” This court case highlights the need to better resource the Department of Health to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect Hawaiʻi’s drinking water supplies and the public’s health from contamination.About the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi: Formed in 1968, the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi has over 20,000 members and supporters working throughout the islands to stop climate change, ensure climate justice for all, and protect Hawaiʻi’s unique natural resources. The Sierra Club is the largest, oldest environmental organization in the U.S. We rely on volunteers to support outdoor education programs, trail and native species restoration projects, and grassroots advocacy for sound environmental policies.
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