Editorial: Keep close eye on Red Hill progress

TL;DR - When 104 million gallons of fuel start coursing through military pipelines this fall in a massive three-month defueling operation, anything could happen. Especially when it involves a World War II-era tank system, embedded in Red Hill, that sits just 100 feet above a major Oahu water source.

So it is critical for the operation to be meticulously planned and rehearsed before its October start, to prevent any spillage — and for government regulators to firmly ride herd every step of the way. Lax oversight of the Navy’s Red Hill tanks had occurred for far too long, unfortunately — until the disastrous November 2021 fuel spill that contaminated drinking water in the Hickam area.

June 7, 2023: Editorial: Keep close eye on Red Hill progress, Honolulu Star-Advertiser