Readiness Subcommittee Holds Hearing on November 2021 Fuel Spill from Pearl Harbor Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

Statement

Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, led a hearing in the Readiness Subcommittee to conduct oversight into the U.S. Navy's maintenance of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility at Pearl Harbor and the November 2021 fuel spill that contaminated drinking water utilized by servicemembers and civilians.

The following is a list of witnesses that appeared before the Readiness Subcommittee today:

Vice Admiral Yancy Lindsey

Commander, Navy Installations Command

Rear Admiral Blake Converse

Deputy Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Rear Admiral John K. Korka

Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command

Chief of Civil Engineers

Rear Admiral Peter Stamatopoulos

Supply Corps, United States Navy

Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command and 49th Chief of Supply Corps

Captain Michael McGinnis

Pacific Fleet Surgeon

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

"The November 2021 release of 14,000 gallons of jet fuel from the Red Hill facility into local drinking water supplies is simply unacceptable," Garamendi said. "It's estimated that 93,000 servicemembers, families, and local residents were exposed to this contaminated drinking water, many became sick, and 3,500 military families were forced from their homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"This is not an isolated incident," Garamendi continued. "In January 2014, 27,000 gallons of fuel was spilled from one of the 12.5-million-gallon storage tanks due to an operator error during routine operations. Since then, the Navy has been under an order from the EPA and Hawaii Department of Health to modernize and make the 80-year-old facility safe. The Department of Defense has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to update the facilities, technologies, and operating procedures at Red Hill. During the time between the 2014 release and the most recent spill last year, the Navy repeatedly stated that these investments would ensure that Oahu's drinking water was safe."

"Unfortunately, as we have watched this crisis unfold over the last 3 months, it is apparent that this is not the case," Garamendi continued.

"While I appreciate that the Navy states it will now comply with Hawaii's order to remedy the situation at Red Hill, this is only the first step in finding a long-term solution to this problem.

"The health and safety of our servicemembers and civilians should always be a priority, and significant and immediate action must be taken to prevent the repeated discharge of toxic fuel into local drinking water supplies," Garamendi continued. "As Chair of the Readiness Subcommittee, I will ensure that Congress continues to follow this situation closely and will work towards that long-term solution."

Source