Write to Congress asking them to shut down Red Hill

red hill

Jun 1

Recent data shows that the fuel leaked from the Red Hill facility on May 6 did in fact reach the environment, despite the Navy’s claims that the fuel was “properly collected by the fuel contamination system”. This latest leak and subsequent data—on top of almost 80 years of fuel releases totalling nearly 200,000 gallons of fuel—demonstrates that the Navy is unable to deliver on its promises to protect our water from their fuel and the tanks need to be drained and the fuel relocated away from drinking water and other natural resources.

The Navy is choosing to make the least expensive, least protective “upgrades” to the Red Hill tanks and is not considering relocating the fuel as an immediate option. Oʻahu’s drinking water and public and environmental health is too important to keep the tanks where they are in similar conditions.

Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation has the power and means to require the Navy to relocate the fuel. We need your help to urge them to make it happen.

How to take this action

Complete this quick form

We are going old-school. From years of experience in advocacy, we know handwritten personal letters are hard for elected officials to ignore and are incredibly effective in advancing our cause. We also know that Oʻahu’s drinking water future is so important, and the threat of the Red Hill tanks to that future is so immense, that we are covering all options. We need you to take a few minutes out of your day to sit down and write impactful notes to all four of Hawaiʻi’s members to Congress.

Make it personal. We have included a sample letter and talking points below, but please make this letter your own. Be sure to make it known to your senator/representative that you are a constituent. Do you live in the area from Moanalua to Maunalua whose drinking water is directly threatened by the Red Hill tanks? Are you concerned about the effect of leaks on all of the other aquifers connected to this primary source under the fuel tanks? What are your concerns about the Red Hill facility? You can write on personal stationary, a greeting card, a postcard, a plain piece of paper—whatever you have access to.
Mail your notes by Tuesday, June 22. We are aiming to collectively flood their mailboxes so it’s better for us to all mail our letters around the same time.
Mailing addresses:
- Representative Ed Case, 1003 Bishop Street, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96813
- Representative Kai Kahele, 99 Aupuni St, Suite 118, Hilo, HI 96720
- Senator Mazie Hirono, 300 Ala Moana Blvd. Rm. 3-106, Honolulu, HI 96850
- Senator Brian Schatz, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm 7-212, Honolulu, HI 96850
Let us know when you’ve mailed your letters. Email us at hawaii.chapter@sierraclub.org or text 278-6663 and tell us you’ve sent them. If you didn’t already, please fill out this form so we can stay in touch. We’ll follow up with you over the next couple weeks to make sure you have all the tools you need to send your letter and we’d like to know when you’ve sent your letters so we can keep a tab of how many letters have been mailed.

Draft letter to congresspeople

Aloha [Title Name],

My name is [Your name] and I live in [Area], I am writing to urge you to relocate the fuel stored at Red Hill as soon as possible. Clean drinking water is a basic human right and the tanks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility threaten that right for everyone living on Oʻahu. The Red Hill tanks have a long history of leaking and some of that fuel has contaminated the groundwater. On the mainland, the Navy replaced tanks similar to those at Red Hill and they should urgently do the same in Hawaiʻi. Our drinking water, our futures are equally important.

Sincerely,
[Signature]

Talking points for letter

The Red Hill tanks have leaked more than 178,434 gallons of fuel since construction
Genuine security recognizes that drinking water is a vital lifeline that must be protected
The Navy’s promises are not enough to protect Oʻahu’s water
Navy data shows leaks from the tanks have contaminated the groundwater
The tanks have a 27.6% chance of leaking 30,000 gallons every year
Navy’s corrosion studies show that the tanks are in worse condition than they expected
Earthquakes pose a significant threat to the tanks
The Navy has replaced similar tanks with aboveground tanks in other areas, the same must be done in Hawaiʻi
Building new tanks creates jobs, better protects our water, and reduces waste of the Navy’s fuel -- it is a win-win scenario

There is no mission, no extra benefit, nothing that is more important than clean drinking water