Shielded from the Community: Navy’s Strategy of Avoidance Through Redactions, Censorship, and Controlled Communication

by Madison Owens, Red Hill Organizer, Rosalie Luo, Volunteer, and Wayne Tanaka, Chapter Director | Reading Time: 9 minutes

This month’s update highlights crucial developments on the Red Hill crisis. Key updates from the recent Fuel Tank Advisory Committee meeting, an overview of the Community Representation Initiative meeting, findings from the latest EPA inspection report, and the Navy’s contentious efforts to discredit the Board of Water Supply. 

Fuel Tank Advisory Committee Meeting

The biannual Fuel Tank Advisory Committee (FTAC) meeting, held on October 9, 2024, shed light on longstanding issues impacting human and environmental health. Agenda items covered public health and groundwater monitoring, drinking water updates and the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) remediation efforts.

Presentation materials from the meeting are available here, and you can watch the recording on the Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Youtube channel here. Notable highlights from the discussion are summarized below. 

  • PAH Detections and Groundwater Monitoring: The Department of Health (DOH) first reported on their recent investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the ‘Aiea wells but stated that current evidence is insufficient to definitively pinpoint the source of these contaminants. Despite - and because of - the uncertainty around their origin, immediate action to gather more data is critical. Community members and FTAC leaders, including Ernie Lau, called for immediate expansion of the monitoring well network around Kapūkakī and for increased rates of testing to gather data needed to safeguard public health and the municipal water system. 

With respect to groundwater modeling, both the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) and the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) presented preliminary groundwater flow models. However, this modeling remains in development, and whether the groundwater movement follows this pattern is highly contested. Again, the uncertainty surrounding the exact flow reinforces the urgent need for additional monitoring wells and more robust testing, including in the western areas of the Red Hill facility, to gain a clearer picture of groundwater movement and potential contamination pathways.

  • Drinking Water Monitoring Updates and Concerns: The Navy’s Extended Drinking Water Monitoring (EDWM) program, still awaiting regulatory approval, was criticized for lack of oversight and its limited scope. The Board of Water Supply (BWS) also challenged the Navy’s claims regarding its SWARM team’s hypothesis that prior total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) detections in the Navy’s water system under its long-term monitoring (LTM), could have been “false positives” due to testing methods. Third party water lab experts contracted by the BWS pointed out that the Navy’s standard operating procedure for the LTM was flawed and did not comply with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations, and is insufficient to confirm the absence of TPHs in the Joint Base Pearl Harbor drinking water system. Navy representatives Admiral Marc Williams and Commander Benn Dunn defended the SWARM team’s conclusion, without specific reasons, and the EDWM’s validity. In addition, the EPA emphasized that the LTM was designed strictly for surveillance, primarily to prove the system is free from JP5 jet fuel contamination. Many community members voiced frustration with this approach, viewing it as overly focused on proving safety rather than uncovering contamination sources or mitigating health risks. The community underscored the need for independent third-party testing, for continuous monitoring and insisted that the EDWM plan undergo community review and feedback before the final approval by the EPA or the DOH.

  • Navy’s Remediation Schedule: The Navy presented its remediation action schedule, explaining that they are currently in the site assessment phase, with actions projected to span years if not decades. The Navy plans to install additional groundwater wells, though these plans remain in early stages. FTAC members highlighted the need for accountability and an accelerated pace of well installation, with Lau advocating for quarterly FTAC meetings, rather than bi-annual to allow for closer monitoring and more robust community input, particularly ahead of the legislative session. 

The FTAC meeting concluded with a public comment period, where numerous community members shared testimonies, offering firsthand insights into the community's frustrations and ongoing demands for transparency and action. For more information on past Red Hill FTAC meetings, click here.

13th Community Representation Initiative (CRI) Meeting Summary

The 13th CRI meeting convened on October 17th, with representatives from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Navy officials were again notably absent. The agenda featured an invaluable historical overview from Vic Peters, former field project manager at the Red Hill Fuel Complex, who provided insights into the facility’s operational history and some of its longstanding structural issues. 

During the meeting, CRI members reviewed the September CRI meeting, including the EPA’s presentation on lead standards under the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). They also reflected on the recent FTAC meeting, where community concerns were raised regarding the Navy’s Long Term Monitoring (LTM) and Extended Drinking Water Monitoring (EDWM) programs, as well as the Department of Health and the University of Hawai’i’s suggestion that groundwater flows from mauka to makai. 

The meeting recording is available on CRI’s YouTube channel, and CRI invites public participation in their weekly meetings held on Wednesdays at noon here

Environmental Protection Agency Inspection Report Findings

The EPA’s recently released inspection reports for the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) and the Aliamanu Military Reservation (AMR) water systems revealed traces of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In addition, the heavily redacted reports cited unresolved maintenance issues and missing records on the Navy’s part. The EPA is requesting the Navy to conduct further testing to identify the source of the TPH detections, sparking community concern on their slow and permissive response.

Despite these findings, a recent press release from the Navy simplistically stated that JBPHH water system water is safe–without any mention of the detected TPH and PFAS contaminants or the unresolved issues highlighted in the inspection report. Community leaders emphasized that residents and community members deserve access to complete and accurate information and prompt, complete responses by the Navy and the EPA; anything less undermines public trust and jeopardizes the safety of those relying on this essential resource.

BWS Meeting/Navy Accuses Board of Water Supply of ‘Grossly Inaccurate’ Statements 

As reported by Hawaii News Now, Marc Williams, Deputy Commander of the NCTF-RH, wrote in a letter to EPA and DOH back in early September regarding BWS’ concerns of lead detections in the JBPHH water system. Williams accused the BWS of relaying “misinformation” that was “grossly inaccurate” and “counterproductive” while asking the regulators to assist in countering this alleged misinformation. In response, Martha Guzman (Regional Administrator of EPA Region 9) and Kenneth Fink (Director of Hawai’i DOH) urged BWS to consult them before releasing public statements and agreed with the Navy that “incomplete or incorrect information has created significant public confusion” about the island’s drinking water. 

On Monday, October 28, Honolulu BWS held their monthly board meeting, which you can watch here when it is uploaded. There was an outpouring of support for BWS from community members testifying, and in parallel, a considerable amount of criticism against the Navy, DOH, and the EPA. BWS board chair Nāʻālehu Anthony and testifiers both highlighted the significant precautionary and preventative approach that BWS takes on drinking water safety, as opposed to the reactive approaches of the other agencies. As HNN also reported, testifiers lauded these precautionary approaches, saying that without the courage of BWS leadership like Ernie Lau and Erwin Kawata, “Today we probably all would have had fuel in our system.”

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