Navy Inspectors Found Problems With Hawaii Fuel Operations Before Contamination Crisis

TL;DR - Years before the Navy’s Honolulu drinking water supply was contaminated by major fuel leaks, military inspectors flagged major problems with fuel operations on both Oahu and Kauai, according to a summary of a 2019 Navy command inspection. 

Inspectors reviewing the U.S. Navy’s fuel operations in and around Pearl Harbor, including the Red Hill fuel facility, and Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility identified multiple failures, according to the summary released to Civil Beat under a public records request, which was prepared by Naval Supply Systems Command, or NAVSUP. 

Leadership was not aware of its oversight responsibilities, required annual spill prevention training wasn’t happening and there was a “mindset of status quo, without questioning (environmental) risk.” 

“Minor leaks are not being cleaned up and fixed,” Danae Smith, a NAVSUP inspector, wrote. 

May 12, 2022: Navy Inspectors Found Problems With Hawaii Fuel Operations Before Contamination Crisis, Honoulu Civil Beat