Federal bill includes funds to drain Red Hill fuel facility

TL;DR - Members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation have secured funding to defuel the underground tanks at the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, and included language in proposed legislation that explicitly ties the funding to a state-issued emergency order to drain the tanks — a directive the federal government has so far resisted.

Though the Navy has complied with several portions of the order and is working to remediate contamination touched off by jet fuel leaking into a drinking water well in a system that serves 93,000 people on Oahu, the service has continued to mount legal challenges to the defueling provision. Department of Justice lawyers entered the fray on the Navy’s behalf last week, filing an appeal in federal court contesting Hawaii’s emergency order.

February 8, 2022: Federal bill includes funds to drain Red Hill fuel facility, Honolulu Civil Beat

February 8, 2022: $100 million in federal funds heading to Hawaii to defuel Red Hill, KHON2

February 7, 2022: Hawaii congressional leaders push for millions of dollars to defuel Red Hill, KITV