After petroleum was detected in a drinking well, Hawaii ordered the Navy to drain fuel from the tanks to protect Oahu’s drinking water.
that their tap water smelled like fuel or reported physical ailments such as nausea and rashes after ingesting it.
The Red Hill facility holds 20 giant underground tanks built into the side of a mountain during World War II. Each tank is roughly the height of a 25-story building. Collectively, they can hold up to 250 million gallons of fuel, though two of the tanks are now empty. So far only the Navy’s drinking water has been tainted. Petroleum hasn’t shown up in the municipal water system operated by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. But the utility draws water from the same aquifer as the Navy.
“I’m hopeful they’re finally seeing the light and acknowledging the facility is an inherent danger to our water supply,” Tanaka said. “It is our full expectation that the Navy will follow the law by complying with the final order,” said Katie Arita-Chang, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Health.