Red Hill Updates: WAI Bill Becomes Law, BWS Concerns, Community Efforts & Groundwater Basics
By Madi Owens, Red Hill Organizer, Kayli Ann Yoshioka, Summer Extern, and Wayne Tanaka, Chapter Director | Reading time: 7 minutes
Last month, the WAI Bill (HB505) was signed into law as Act 197, marking a critical step forward for the cleanup of decades of contamination from the Red Hill Fuel Facility. This update also shares key news from the Board of Water Supply, including concerns about reactivating the Navy ‘Aiea-Hālawa shaft and the filing of a lawsuit against the Navy for the costs the BWS (and by extension, its water customers) has and will continue to incur. It also recaps the latest Community Representation Initiative meeting and highlights a Groundwater Basic webinar series from the Department of Health. Read on for these and more Red Hill updates, insights and ways to stay engaged.
WAI Bill Becomes Law
Act 197 was signed into law on June 6, establishing a Red Hill “WAI Policy Coordinator” and staff to receive and administer funds and coordinate activities relating to the clean up of the ‘āina and wai contaminated by the Red Hill Facility. This marks the end of a two-year campaign to create an institutional entity to facilitate what will likely be a decades-long effort to ensure the Navy cleans up its mess. While this bill represents a critical institutional step forward, our collective vigilance is still needed to ensure the coordinator proactively and objectively fulfills their intended role.
For more information about the WAI Bill, read the full press release by the Community Representation Initiative and Ka Lāhui Hawai‘i: “WAI BILL BECOMES LAW: MAJOR VICTORY FOR WATER PROTECTORS.”
Updates from Ernie Lau & Joyce Lin
The Shut Down Red Hill Coalition met with Chief Engineer Ernie Lau and Civil Engineer Joyce Lin from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), for critical updates on Red Hill and the planned reactivation of the Navy ‘Aiea-Hālawa and Red Hill drinking water shafts. Both have been “secured” and disconnected from the Navy’s water system after the November 2021 release of approximately 20,000 gallons of jet fuel at the nearby Red Hill Fuel Facility. The Navy is now moving forward with plans to once again connect these water sources to the Navy’s water system, relying on unproven water filtration systems to prevent any contaminants from entering the system.
Lau shared that the Navy’s contact with the BWS has been minimal. He raised concerns about the reactivation of the Navy ‘Aiea-Hālawa shaft, in which the Department of Health has granted the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) conditional approval to begin the process of resuming the use of this shaft to serve Navy water consumers. For example, without a complete groundwater flow model–which the Navy has been legally required to develop since 2015– we do not know if pumping from the shaft would pull contamination from the Red Hill Facility farther west and toward other BWS wells. He also reminded everyone that chemicals like PFAS are especially mobile in water and could spread faster than other contaminants.
Lin added that the reactivation of the Navy wells would require carbon filtration systems that may cost around $15 million per year, with no clear plan for safely disposing of used and contaminated filter material. Moreover, the treatment systems for the Navy ‘Aiea-Hālawa shaft are only temporary–and long-term solutions remain unclear.
Community members asked about how prepared the Navy’s current treatment systems are for emergencies like storms or power outages. Lau said it is unclear whether backup power will be in place for such contingencies.
Both Lau and Lin urged continued public oversight and engagement, especially as the reactivation of these drinking water shafts moves forward.
Community Representation Initiative June Meeting
On June 26, the Community Representation Initiative (CRI) held its monthly meeting and announced an open seat for a representative from an organization working on behalf of O‘ahu residents. The application deadline is July 31, 2025 - apply here.
CRI members also shared updates from the recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) community engagement session. Around 40 people attended the two-part meeting on June 25, which included different groups for different experiences and connections to the Red Hill water crisis. The National Academies’ final report, expected in spring 2026, will offer recommendations for clinical surveillance and patient care – learn more here.
CRI also shared that the NCTF-RH has submitted its tank closure plans (Supplement 4) to the Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. The document is expected to be publicly available in July 2025 on the NCTF-RH website.
The meeting also featured a presentation by Dr. Robert M. DuWors, PhD, who shared a clinical neuropsychology perspective on fuel exposure and institutional betrayal. Dr. DuWors discussed his data collection and research on Red Hill, the challenges exposed families face in accessing care, and the need for long-term support. To learn more, watch the CRI meeting here.
Groundwater Basics: Department of Health Webinar Series
A four-part webinar series on the basics of groundwater in Hawaiʻi was hosted throughout June by the DOH’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) Office, Safe Drinking Water Branch, and Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch.
Webinar #1 laid the foundation for understanding what groundwater is and its importance as a resource, as 85% of Hawaiʻi’s drinking water comes from groundwater. In this webinar, we were introduced to the basics of groundwater science and how water moves through the natural underground networks of aquifers. Along the natural cycle, there are pathways for groundwater contamination from sources such as cesspools, military and industrial activities, underground storage tanks, and the agricultural use of pesticides and herbicides.
Webinar #2 illustrated the basics of groundwater movement and flow. Here, we learned how groundwater moves through pores, fractures, and permeable sediments and rocks via gravity to reach our aquifers. Drought conditions or excessive pumping can impact the quantity and quality of groundwater stored in the aquifer, so it is imperative that the amount of water stored in and percolating into these aquifers is monitored.
Webinar #3 and #4 focused on contaminants that can enter groundwater and how data is collected to test for groundwater quality, which can also be used in the implementation of remedial action. Contaminants such as pesticides can reach groundwater by mixing with rainfall that migrates to the water table and forming a dissolved plume. Light nonaqueous liquids (LNAPL) can also enter into groundwater and float on the water table (e.g., oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel); denser aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) can also sink to the bottom of the aquifer (e.g., dry cleaning solvents). Agencies use the data collected from groundwater monitoring wells to assess the presence and distribution of contaminants. Different techniques, such as in situ (in-place treatment) or ex situ (groundwater extraction), can be implemented to treat any impacted groundwater.
BWS Files Suit Against the Navy
On July 1, 2025, the BWS formally filed a lawsuit against the US Navy to recover $1.2B in costs that have been and will continue to be incurred as the utility seeks to provide safe drinking water to Oʻahu residents in the aftermath of the Red Hill water crisis.
The filing of this lawsuit comes after months of failed negotiations with the Navy to cover costs associated with the contamination of Oʻahu’s primary drinking water source. These include significantly increased groundwater testing, the planning and installation of new groundwater monitoring and sentinel wells to prevent contamination of existing drinking water wells, and the exploration and development of alternative water sources after BWS wells, including its Hālawa shaft, had to be shut down indefinitely following the November 2021 Red Hill fuel spill and the November 2022 PFAS spill.
After the Navy formally rejected the BWS’ request for it to cover its costs of responding to the crisis in January, the BWS had a 6-month deadline to file its lawsuit in federal court.
While the Navy has admitted that its negligence resulted in the November 2021 fuel release that poisoned thousands of Navy water customers and contaminated Oʻahu’s sole source drinking water aquifer, financial accountability is far from guaranteed. Last month, Department of Justice lawyers were successful in significantly reducing the amount of damages claimed by individuals and families poisoned after the November 2021 release, relying on gaslighting and whataboutisms to create uncertainty about the cause of the debilitating health effects they experienced. It remains to be seen if similar tactics will be used to help the Navy evade accountability for its negligence, at the expense of the BWS and its ratepayers.
The BWS complaint can be reviewed here.
Upcoming Events:
Red Hill Community Representation Initiative Meeting with Navy & Regulators
Thursday July 31, 2025
Meeting location to be determined
More details about CRI’s July meeting will be shared on Instagram (@RedHillCRI23) – follow for updates.
Red Hill Registry Family Fair
Save the date: Saturday, August 2
Moanalua High School
More details will be shared on the Red Hill Registry website as we get closer to the event date.