Red Hill updates as we move into summer
by Becka Garrison, Red Hill Organizer | Reading time: 4 minutes
Health Department Open House & Fuel Tank Advisory Committee Meeting
Water drinkers and advocates are invited to participate in two upcoming public events—the Department of Health’s Red Hill Open House on Monday, June 5, 3-7pm at Moanalua High School Cafeteria and the Fuel Tank Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 6, 1-5pm at Moanalua High School Performing Arts Center.
The open house will be a science fair type event, where you will find booths hosted by various agencies including the Joint Task Force Red Hill, US Navy, Environmental Protection Agency, Hawaiʻi Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, as well as community organizations, Oʻahu Water Protectors and the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. You will be able to engage with the agencies and organizations, ask them questions and hear updates.
The following day, the Health Department will also be hosting the Fuel Tank Advisory Committee meeting. We encourage you to provide verbal testimony in-person or by Zoom, as well as to submit written comments. Talking points, sample written testimony, and instructions can be found here. If you plan to join by Zoom, be sure to register and feel free to use one of these Zoom backgrounds to show your support for shutting down Red Hill once and for all. Agenda and details on Zoom participation here.
The Fuel Tank Advisory Committee was established in response to the 2014 Red Hill fuel leak by the legislature to investigate the leak and what measures needed to be taken to ensure the facility was “safe” to operate. At the June 6 meeting, updates will be provided on defueling, closure plan, remediation, AFFF release and response, and public engagement opportunities by the Joint Task Force Red Hill, US Navy, EPA, and Hawaiʻi Health Department.
Additional things to note & keep an eye on
Red Hill pipeline removal: Early last week, the Navy announced it wants to remove three main pipelines as part of its closure process. This is a win and a testament to the community’s tireless advocacy. While not much was shared about the pipelines process removal or timeline, we are committed to making sure the Navy keeps their word, given the Navy’s track record.
2023 Consent Order: Also released by the EPA in early June was the 2023 Consent Order, an administrative agreement between the US EPA, Department of Defense and Defense Logistics Agency. This agreement continues the EPA’s work to oversee the Navy’s response to the November 2021 fuel release from the Facility and the subsequent decision to close the Facility by the Department of Defense. The EPA will be hosting a webinar on the order on June 13, details here.
Help Families Poisoned by Red Hill
On Thursday, May 18th, the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi teamed up with CommunityX, a digital activism hub, to hold a press conference at the Arizona Memorial to launch the collaborative fundraiser for the first cohort of five Red Hill families. The goal is to raise $10k for each of these families and then expand to provide financial support to as many of the impacted individuals and families as possible. In addition to representatives from the Sierra Club, CommunityX, Shut Down Red Hill Coalition, Oʻahu Water Protectors, and Shimānchu Wai Protectors, we heard harrowing testimony from affected family members who continue to face Navy maltreatment. From our collective efforts, we are happy to announce that two families have both received $3,000 so far.
For more information on the press conference, please checkout Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s coverage here.
For more information on how you can shift funds to support these efforts please visit RedHillCrisis.com.
And, for more information on CommunityX you can visit their website here.
Decommission - Not Repurpose - Red Hill Tanks
As the Navy moves forward with plans to begin defueling in October, the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi stands firm in its support of the immediate and safe defueling and permanent DECOMMISSIONING of the ENTIRE facility. Meaning, the Sierra Club objects to any considerations of reusing or repurposing the facility for future endeavors. The tanks and pipes should be decontaminated, dismantled, and made inoperative. Furthermore, we stand in solidarity with the Shut Down Red Hill Coalition and their demand that, “The Navy should not be in control of exploring and deciding on options for environmental justice, especially while it’s actively polluting Oʻahu’s sole-source aquifer” and invite you all to view and sign the petition here and to read our friend Jason’s op-ed here.
Joint Task Force Red Hill Defueling Open Houses
At the Defueling Open House held by the Joint Task Force Red Hill on May 23 and May 24 at Keʻehi Lagoon Memorial Park in the Alfred Los Banos Ballroom, we were reminded of the depths of military incompetence. Not only were we met, yet again, with science fair type presentations with empty “talking head” dialogue leaving only enough room for one-way conversations, but when we pushed further we discovered that Navy still does not have a plan or contract for removing the 100,000-400,000 gallons of fuel that will remain after the initial defueling begins in October. This is concerning for many reasons, but most pointedly, Navy officials revealed they do not know how long this last phase of defueling will take or how it will even happen. And so, when we critically think about how the military controls these conversations while excluding community input on how to move forward we must also reflect on why we’re in this horrific mess to begin with: the military does not listen to the community, subject matter experts, or mothers grieving the now compromised health of their children.