Kudos to Ernest Lau of the Board of Water Supply, who insisted that the problems with fuel contamination by the Navy were just the tip of the iceberg. The Navy’s irresponsible actions in response to the contamination is a clear indication that it cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

The people of Hawaii deserve and demand that these issues be properly resolved with oversight by the appropriate independent authority.

One thing that I have not heard being addressed is the Navy’s unauthorized and improper release of fuel-contaminated water as their initial “fix.”

We all saw it on the news: hundreds of thousands of gallons of the contaminated water being spewed out onto the ground, where it will doubtless migrate back into the aquifer.

If everyone else is subject to regulations regarding disposal of petroleum products, surely the Navy is not exempt.

Moana Heu

Kapolei

Government must hold military to account

It is imperative now that Hawaii’s congressional delegation and state and local governments continue to stand with the people of Hawaii and accept no compromise in the draining of the tanks and permanent shutdown and cleanup of Red Hill.

Military leaders have made some enormous mistakes. Not only did they ignore experts and common people alike who for years called for the removal of this threat to our drinking water, but they have completely mishandled the disaster as it is finally unfolding.

The withholding of information, obfuscation and outright lies are shameful and have been very harmful in this emergency situation. The Environmental Protection Agency and Board of Water Supply need to be allowed to direct and oversee all aspects of the shutdown and cleanup.

The Navy has proved that it is unable to handle this emergency in a responsible manner. No compromise. Shut it down and clean it up.

Angela Huntemer

Kahuku

‘All hands on deck’ needed to fix problem

Regarding the contamination of water in military housing: Why isn’t it “all hands on deck?”

We all should be concerned when the Navy officials are not actively requesting assistance from any and all agencies that might be able to assist in identifying and resolving the issue of fuel contamination in their water supply.

The contamination directly impacts their personnel and their dependents: their ohana, the families that look to the Navy to take care of them. Why have they closed ranks? Why have they not allowed assistance from outside agencies — especially the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, which has the expertise, supplies the island of Oahu with the best water in the nation, and has a vested interest in keeping all water supplies safe?

It should be all hands on deck, and we all should be concerned when the Navy command is not acting accordingly with a sense of urgency.

Winslow Tanabe

Manoa

Wearing helmet should be the choice of biker

I would like to respond to Lance Bateman’s letter on requiring moped and motorcycle riders to wear a helmet (“If seat belts required, why not bike helmets?,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 7).

I am a former (40 years) motorcycle rider. At one time I was Street Bikers United Hawaii (SBUH) safety director. SBUH stood for bikers’ rights. We were neither for nor against helmets. It was a choice. Today, more riders than not wear helmets.

A helmet is only effective in a direct impact at under 15 mph. A helmet, if dropped from a height of 5 feet, is no longer considered safe to use and has a life span of only a few years. Replacing a helmet can cost upwards of a few hundred dollars.

Most motorcycle accidents involve blunt trauma to the torso and not the head. In many cases, a helmet does more harm than good, as it often causes neck injuries. On a percentage basis, more head injuries occur in automobile accidents than on motorcycles. I personally wore a helmet and encouraged others to do the same. But it is a choice.

D.J. Freitas

Kaneohe

Rains show uselessness of Ala Wai flood control

We need to put to rest plans for Ala Wai flood control. After record-breaking rainfall totals this month, the canal functioned well. Waikiki, on the other hand, showed why its days are numbered.

Sea level rise is inevitable and the land under us is not rising. Expensive pumps and engineering won’t solve anything.

Use the money on problems that actually need solving.

Eric Phillips

Kapahulu

What about creativity in school credits?

I have spent my entire life in a school system with a linear curriculum that prioritizes core subjects, and we have forgotten these fantastic talents students possess.

While my school offers a variety of courses for students to experience, they still require a set number of credits for each subject to graduate, with math and English having the most and the arts with the least credits required. Why is that? What if art is the place that sparks my creativity?

Why not eliminate the number of required credits for each subject? Letting students take whatever credits they want allows them to step outside their comfort zone and leads them to careers that pique their interests.

Lauren Lee

Waialae

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