U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS LAURIE DEXTER/RELEASED
Red Hill provides fuel to operate overseas while ensuring drinking water in the area remains safe.
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I have recently become aware that the Navy favors the lowest- cost and lowest assurance of protection for the Red Hill fuel tank upgrades (“Red Hill fuel tank corrosion worse than expected,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 26). Yet at the same time, the Navy’s own studies seem to show that corrosion of the steel tank liners was underestimated. This is not good.
The Board of Water Supply just had its regular board meeting last week, presenting preliminary data from the Navy’s corrosion study. The message is clear: Levels of corrosion are so bad in some places that less than half of the original 0.25-inch walls remain. That is not a lot of protection from a future, potentially catastrophic, leak into our groundwater. No amount of jet fuel leaking into the environment is acceptable.
I’m deeply disturbed the more I learn about this issue, especially because it affects an irreplaceable source of drinking water for Oahu residents. Something must be done.
Nanea Lo
Papakolea
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