US military drops appeal of Hawaii order to drain fuel tanks

TL;DR - The U.S. government on Friday dropped its appeals of a Hawaii order requiring it to remove fuel from a massive military fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into the Navy’s water system at Pearl Harbor last year.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Defense notified the state and federal courts of its decision. The move comes more than a month after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the military would permanently shut down the tanks and drain all of their fuel.

The Hawaii Department of Health, which issued the order, said the decision regarding the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility was a “step forward.”

April 23, 2022: US military drops appeal of Hawaii order to drain fuel tanks, Associated Press

April 22, 2022: Navy drops lawsuit against Hawaii over Red Hill defuelment, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

April 22, 2022: Feds Agree To Stop Fighting Order To Drain Red Hill, Honolulu Civil Beat