U.S. military drains fuel from tank facility that leaked fuel into Pearl Harbor's drinking water
The U.S. military said it’s finished draining million of gallons of fuel from an underground fuel tank complex in Hawaii that poisoned 6,000 people.
HONOLULU — The U.S. military said it’s finished draining million of gallons of fuel from an underground fuel tank complex in Hawaii that poisoned 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into Pearl Harbor’s drinking water in 2021.
Joint Task Force Red Hill began defueling the tanks in October after completing months of repairs to an aging network of pipes to prevent the World War II-era facility from springing more leaks while it drained 104 million of fuel from the tanks.
The task force was scheduled to hand over responsibility for the tanks on Thursday to Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill. This new command, led by Rear Adm. Stephen D. Barnett, is charged with permanently decommissioning the tanks, cleaning up the environment and restoring the aquifer underneath.
Vice Adm. John Wade, the commander of the task force that drained the tanks, said in a recorded video released Wednesday that Barnett understands “the enormity and importance” of the job.
Wade said the new task force’s mission was to “safely and expeditiously close the facility to ensure clean water and to conduct the necessary long-term environmental remediation.”
Rating: 5