The Navy was a no-show at the January Community Representation Initiative (CRI), citing that the December meeting “did not go well” (“Federal officials are no-shows at Red Hill community meeting,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 19).

Clearly, the Navy can’t handle the heat coming from an informed public, so it decided to get out of the kitchen. In the December meeting, Rear Adm. Marc Williams refused to answer the question if the Navy was testing for ethylene dibromide (EDB), and then took offense to a community member presenting data about the current drinking water. Also, Karnig Ohannessian, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, refused to discuss health concerns about the current water, and didn’t know what “authority” meant.

When it is an issue of public health and human decency, anger is the only appropriate response when met with apathy.

I applaud every member of the CRI for refusing to turn down the heat.

Lindsey Wilson

Helena, Mont. (formerly of Aliamanu, impacted by 2021 Red Hill spill)

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