Toxic Red Hill spill in 2019 affected soil, Navy reveals

TL;DR - The Navy said Friday that a spill of up to 1,500 gallons of toxic fire suppressant containing so-called “forever chemicals” at Red Hill on Dec. 7, 2019, did flow outside of the facility and contaminated the soil, requiring the soil to be excavated.

The Navy, which disclosed the spill this week to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said that at the time of the release, it was not required to report the incident to regulatory agencies or internally within the U.S. Department of Defense.

The fire suppressant, called aqueous film-forming foam, had not yet been defined as a hazardous substance by the EPA, and DOD had not yet implemented reporting requirements, according to a Navy spokesperson.

March 18, 2023: Toxic Red Hill spill in 2019 affected soil, Navy reveals, Honolulu Star-Advertiser