Navy reschedules defueling of Red Hill pipes

The defueling of Red Hill was rescheduled to begin Tuesday, the Red Hill Joint Task Force announced Thursday.

Previously, the unpacking was set to begin Monday of this week, but a broken water main on Oct. 14 set off a chain reaction that broke other pipes, destabilized the water pressure in a system that serves 93,000 residents and postponed work on Red Hill.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro suspended operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Facility in December after petroleum was found to have leaked into the Red Hill well, contaminating the drinking water in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Hawaii state officials and residents called on the Navy to drain the tanks of 100 million gallons of fuel. The Navy planned to begin by emptying pipelines of 1 million gallons of fuel in order to make necessary repairs before the bigger job. After defueling, the facility would be closed and the fuel would be redistributed elsewhere.

The rescheduled operation still depends on JBPHH officials confirming that the water system “has the necessary capacity and capability to support emergency response efforts,” a Red Hill Joint Task Force news release said. “With that confirmation, JTF-RH will complete preparations for unpacking on Oct. 24, including final valve checks and pressure equalization,” the release said. The next day, the Task Force would begin draining the pipes.

“JTF-RH remains committed to safely and expeditiously defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and will continue to provide updates to all stakeholders,” the release said.