Environmental advocates keeping a watchful eye on Red Hill facility

TL;DR - It’s been almost four months since firefighting foam concentrate spilled at the Navy's Red Hill fuel storage facility.

It’s unclear why it’s taken so long to release the report about what led to the discharge of the toxic chemicals containing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They are also called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down.

Across the Pacific Ocean in Okinawa, residents have been living with water contaminated by PFAS at a nearby U.S. military base, according to Jon Mitchell's documentary “Nuchi nu Miji - Okinawa's Water of Life."

Mitchell said the military has not allowed Japanese officials to enter the base and investigate the contamination themselves. Using Freedom of Information Act requests, he said he found records of multiple firefighting foam spills.

March 6, 2023: Environmental advocates keeping a watchful eye on Red Hill facility, Hawaiʻi Public Radio