EPA and Hawaii DOH announce agreement for Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hawaii Sate Department of Health (DOH) released material on their proposed agreement over the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility with the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on Thursday.

The site was created in the 1940s and features 20 underground fuel storage tanks built into a mountain hillside, which can store between 12.5 and 12.7 million gallons. In Jan. 2014, the Red Hill facility was the site of a 27,000 gallon jet fuel spill that occurred while refilling its Tank 5. While monitoring of a nearby Navy drinking well and the water system for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam have shown a return to compliance, there has been a good deal of public interest in the proposed Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) that will require the Navy and DLA to minimize the risk of future spills.

The EPA and DOH released public comments they have received on the AOC and developed a Frequently Asked Questions document, both of which are available on their respective websites. The organizations are also preparing a response to the public comments.