Column: Gov forms, leads Red Hill committee to push updates

Hawaii must never again risk leaks or spills of any toxic substance into our water supply.

This means that any entity or organization that wants to operate in our state must fully understand, respect and comply with the same absolute commitment — Hawaii will not tolerate pollution of our water.

We have learned this lesson the hard way, most recently from the catastrophic fuel spill at Red Hill and the suffering and trauma it has caused.

Over the last 15 months, we have absorbed the painful lesson that — if we allow it — our water and soil can potentially be poisoned for a generation or more in an instant of irresponsibility, carelessness or greed.

In November 2021, a leak of toxic jet fuel at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility contaminated the drinking water at the Navy’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and threatened the safety of one of Oahu’s major fresh water aquifers.

In the wake of the crisis — as we dealt with its health and environmental consequences and the pain, anxiety and anger it caused — we witnessed a new consensus emerge in Hawaii.

An acute awareness grew among a broad coalition of concerned citizens across our state — led by environmental activists, community health advocates, conservationists and committed public servants like the Board of Water Supply’s Ernie Lau — that our vital natural resources are fragile, vulnerable and must be protected with even greater vigilance.

With one voice, the people of Hawaii demanded that Red Hill be drained of fuel and shut for good.

Under pressure from environmental groups, elected officials and public opinion, in March 2022 the Pentagon announced it would close Red Hill for good.

In May, the Hawaii Department of Health issued a directive requiring the Navy to develop a plan to close Red Hill permanently.

An independent assessment released the same month found that the aging facility needed extensive repairs before the fuel could be removed safely. Corroded pipelines, faulty valves and other deteriorating infrastructure must be fixed first in order to drain the tanks without risk of further leaks, spills or dangerous accidents.

In September, the Navy announced it would accelerate its timeline for draining the tanks at Red Hill, promising “safe and expeditious defueling of the facility” and pledging to “keep stakeholders and the community informed throughout the process.”

The Navy is now committed to completing the repairs needed to safely drain the fuel by the end of 2023, with major defueling of the facility to begin in 2024 and deadlines for completely defueling the tanks by June 30, 2024, and for permanent Red Hill shutdown by Dec. 31, 2024.

This timeline is not soon enough for many of us, but in order to remove the facility’s fuel and finally safeguard our water supply with as little risk to health and environment as possible, it is necessary.

Since taking office last month, my administration has been meeting with Navy officials regularly to ensure that they adhere to the promised timeline — and the repairs, defueling and final closure of Red Hill are conducted safely and responsibly without further leaks, spills, accidents or injuries.

As we move forward, we must remain vigilant, demand transparency from the Pentagon and the Navy, and require accountability for the impacts on our health and our environment.

We must always hold the military to its commitments and obligations as our guests, ensuring that it follows our laws, abide by our regulations, and respect our values.

To ensure that we achieve these goals, I am immediately convening a special governor’s oversight committee on Red Hill and statewide water issues.

Comprised of officials from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, the military, leaders on environmental health, and led by me, this group will monitor the progress on the Red Hill timeline and provide Hawaii’s people with regular updates and status reports.

We will use the same transparent, responsive and science-based approach we took during the pandemic, so the public is kept fully informed on this crucial environmental effort over the next two years.

Environmental advocacy groups will continue to play an important watchdog role — holding the Navy to its plan, keeping it honest, and making sure state government meets our regulatory responsibilities.

As a state, we must continue to do everything we can to bring this painful chapter of our history to an end as quickly and safely as possible.

As caretakers of our islands, our challenge in Hawaii is to live up to our values, put them into action, and meet our responsibilities to future generations.

It is ultimately our kuleana to ensure that everyone in Hawaii — whether visitors, guests or residents — respects and adheres to our commitment to protecting Hawaii’s environment and our natural treasures.

We must start by never again risking one of our most precious natural resources — our water supply.

Josh Green, M.D., is governor of the state of Hawaii.