House Calls for Red Hill Fuel Leak Task Force

The House unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 73 HD1, requesting the Director of Health to convene a task force to study the effects of the January 2014 fuel tank leak at the Red Hill underground fuel storage facility.

It’s been estimated that over the last 65 years, untold thousands of gallons of jet fuel has leaked underground from the fuel tanks involving multiple leaks, the latest occurring last January when the Navy confirmed that up to 27,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation fuel leaked from one of the tanks.

"Studies indicate that past fuel spills have already leached into the groundwater and soil beneath the storage tank facility," said Representative Mark Takai (Aiea), Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts Committee chairman.

"We are asking for a much more deliberative approach to this situation," Takai said. "The Navy, State, Board of Water Supply and all involved need to take aggressive mitigating action and to work together to prevent a huge catastrophe from happening."

The resolution requests the task force look into the implications of shutting down the fuel storage facility, as well as the remediation of the current contaminated soil and ground water.

A single underground fuel tank stands as tall as the Aloha Tower (250 ft.) and 100 ft. wide and holds about 12 million gallons of fuel. The Navy’s Red Hill facility contains 20 such tanks.