Navy complies with order to fix Pearl Harbor facility that leaked fuel into tap water

TL;DR - The Navy will comply with a Hawaii emergency order to empty fuel tanks and make repairs at a storage facility that contaminated drinking water with jet fuel at Pearl Harbor, an official said Monday, appearing to abandon its legal fight with the state before Navy leaders are grilled about the public health crisis in a hearing on Capitol Hill.

“U.S. Pacific Fleet is complying with the Department of Health’s Emergency Order for Red Hill,” said Capt. Bill Clinton, a spokesperson for the command, in a decision that has not been publicly announced. The pause in operations at Red Hill has been in effect since Dec. 7, Clinton said, and there has not been any impact on military operations in the region at this time.

It is unclear whether the Navy will appeal the decision, according to a defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Navy is in talks with the Justice Department on options and long-term solutions for the facility with national security implications in mind, the official said.

January 10, 2022: Navy complies with order to fix Pearl Harbor facility that leaked fuel into tap water, The Washington Post

January 10, 2022: Navy complies with Department of Health order to empty fuel storage tanks at Red Hill, install safe drinking water system, KHON

January 11, 2022: Top officials address water crisis as Navy complies with state order to drain Red Hill fuel tanks, Hawaiʻi News Now

January 11, 2022: Navy will comply with state order to remove fuel from Red Hill, Hawaiʻi Public Radio

January 11, 2022: Navy Agrees To Comply With Hawaii’s Order To Drain Red Hill Fuel Facility, Honolulu Civil Beat