Talk about a supply-chain problem: Hawaii seems to lack any supply of welders with the specialized skill to close the gap between the troubled rail line’s track crossings and its too-narrow wheels. If it’s not corrected, trains would need to slow down at key points.

Of the myriad problems associated with rail, this one largely came with the territory — the territory being Hawaii, where such complex projects are rare and thus the workforce hasn’t settled here. The search for roving manganese-welding workers now begins.

More worries about Red Hill tanks

New information about the Navy’s own concerns over possible pipeline leakage, in late September, at its Red Hill fuel tank site is sparking new worries over the tank system’s integrity, as well as the Navy’s transparency.

As revealed in an Oct. 3 email obtained by the Star-Advertiser, the Sept. 29 pipeline pressure surge was enough to cause a pause in Red Hill fuel operations from Sept. 30 until Oct. 8. While it’s good that the Navy now says that no fuel was released and no damage occurred, the incident had not been disclosed publicly, not even to the state Department of Health, which regulates the facility and is currently considering the Navy’s request for a five-year permit to continue operations there. Stay tuned.