In response to the Red Hill well fuel contamination, the Honolulu City Council is holding a special meeting Wednesday, breaking its usual pause during the holidays.

Before the Council are two measures addressing concerns tied to the Navy’s drinking water system.

One is Bill 48, which would not allow anyone to operate an underground storage tank that holds more than 100,000 gallons without approval from the city through a permit. The permit would also not be granted unless the operator could demonstrate that the tank would not leak during its operating life.

Also up for consideration is Resolution 21-276, which calls for the immediate removal of the Navy’s massive underground fuel storage tanks, which can hold up to a total 250 million gallons of fuel.

Navy officials said on Friday that they believe the contamination stems from a Nov. 20 release of JP-5 jet fuel from the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility’s fire suppression system. In addition to that spill, the state Department of Health is looking at other incidents, including a spill that occurred May 6.

IN A written statement Council Chairman Tommy Waters, who introduced Bill 48 along with Councilwoman Radiant Cordero, said, “Wai is our most important resource and we must protect it.” He also stressed that the matter should be weighed at a full Council meeting.

“This body has no greater kuleana than to protect the health and well-being of the people of this island,” Waters said. “By holding a special Council meeting and moving these measures forward, it is our way of supporting the military families and the 400,000 residents who are currently impacted or may be impacted in the future.” The Navy’s drinking water system serves about 93,000 people.

Upwards of 100 pages of written testimony have been submitted in support of the bill. The resolution has also garnered strong backing.

Previously, the Council took action related to Red Hill in 2019, when it passed a resolution urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the DOH to reject the Navy’s plan to install a “single-wall” upgrade to the tanks, which they deemed to be an inadequate fix for protecting the environment from a fuel leak.

ON MONDAY’S Honolulu Star-Advertiser webcast, Mayor Rick Blangiardi lauded Board of Water Supply Manager and Chief Engineer Earnest Lau for his handling of the situation. The BWS has shut down its Halawa shaft amid worries that contamination around the Red Hill shaft could migrate to the Halawa shaft, which is about 1 mile away.

“I don’t think we have a better advocate than Ernie Lau running the Board of Water Supply. And I take my cues from him on that side, on the city side and making sure our general population is safe,” Blangiardi said.

“We’re holding those people accountable to fix” the contamination problem, he said, adding, “They seem to be responding well.” Blangiardi said in his conversations with the military “nobody has ducked the issue — there just seems to be a difference in interpretation as to what has caused what.”

The special Council meeting is set to start at 10 a.m. To sign up to submit testimony remotely, go to honolulu.gov/council.