Letter from Congressman Ed Case
- Protect Our Aquifer HI
- Nov 3, 2021
- 3 min read
Contents of the letter:
October 12, 2021
Dear Ms. -------:
Mahalo for contacting me with your opposition to the continued operation of the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility.
I share your commitment to the protection of our precious drinking water and to ensuring that any risks from Red Hill are addressed. This is why I secured the passage of an amendment to the House version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to impose stricter inspection and safety standards for the piping and supporting infrastructure at Red Hill. It also requires the Navy to create a life-cycle sustainment plan based on an independent expert's assessment. A copy of this amendment has been attached to this letter.
My amendment dovetails with the September 10, 2021 administrative proceeding ruling regarding the Navy's request for an operating permit for Red Hill. The hearing officer recommended that the Navy should be issued an operating permit subject to several conditions. First, by no later than December 31, 2024, all tanks in active use are to be inspected and repaired. Any tank that has not been inspected and repaired shall be drained and removed from active use until it has been inspected, repaired and determined to be in safe operating condition. Second, the Navy must provide annual reports to the State of Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH) on the inspection and repair status of the tanks.
More broadly on Red Hill, there are a number of related issues and efforts already underway to address our concerns. The most current relates to the May 6, 2021 leak of some fuel from an external (non-tank) expansion joint. The outstanding questions are the specific amount of the leak, the specific cause of the leak, and whether and to what extent the leak was captured by safety systems. The Navy and federal and state regulators are pursuing the answers to those questions, and I have been in ongoing communication with the Navy to assure that that investigation is expedited, thorough, objective and transparent once a report is concluded, and that specific actions are taken and funded if recommended.
The permit renewal proceeding also considered whether and to what extent the tanks proper can be improved to further ensure against leaks. A secondary containment system (essentially a tank within a tank) would achieve this objective, and the Navy has stated that it will either fully implement such a system or close Red Hill by 2045. The Navy believes that there is technology available to do so and is pursuing feasibility studies. To assist in this effort, I worked to include $5 million in federal FY 2021 funding to assure the full research needed to ensure the safety of these underground fuel storage tanks while the Navy, State of Hawai'i and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work together to determine the best next steps for Red Hill. This funding is being applied toward evaluating secondary containment, measuring and controlling corrosion, improving testing, inspection, repair and maintenance processes, and improving groundwater monitoring and modeling. I am seeking continued funding of these efforts, and I have already secured it in the House-passed version of the FY 2022 funding bill.
Since 2015, $218 million has been invested in infrastructure and maintenance programs at Red Hill, with another $470 million budgeted for FY 2021 through FY 2025. I have continually emphasized the importance of these funds both in Congress and with the Department of Defense, which considers Red Hill essential to our national defense in the Indo-Pacific. If and as the ongoing studies and/or the pending decision in the Navy-DOH-EPA proceeding indicate that even more ongoing funding is required, I will pursue such funding in Congress.
I have also continuously advocated for rigorous ongoing oversight and maintenance of Red Hill. Most recently, on May 5, 2021, I testified before the House Armed Services Committee about the needs of Hawai'i and Red Hill specifically. You can read my written testimony on my website at https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=561 and watch my testimony on the House Armed Services Committee website at https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings?ID=D9816DA9-5BE0-4E95-AAC3-0969AB390927.
I understand that some are calling for the immediate or near-term closure of Red Hill. I do not have any current evidence that any risks posed by Red Hill to our water cannot be addressed so as to justify immediate closure, but would pursue that course if and when such evidence indicated such risks and lack of real remediation options. Pending that, I will continue to support all of the actions and efforts above.
Thank you again, and please continue to let me know of your views. Please also sign up for regular updates from me and my office through my e-newsletter and social media outreach at https://case.house.gov/contact.
With aloha,
Congressman Ed Case (Hawai'i-First District)
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