Senator Hirono Statement on Navy Plan for Red Hill Defueling

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Navy submitted its plan for the permanent defueling and closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oahu:

“Earlier this month, I fought to authorize $1 billion in federal funding in the National Defense Authorization Act for the safe closure of Red Hill. The facility’s ongoing operation has endangered the well-being of families and communities on Oahu and at this point, the most important thing for the health and safety of the people of Hawaii is for the defueling to happen safely. In addition to safely defueling Red Hill in a timely manner, the Navy must also meet its obligation to remediate the long-term environmental impacts of the facility.

“While the Department of Defense has briefed us on the plan, I have not yet had the opportunity to review it in detail. My understanding is that the plan provides actionable steps resulting from months of planning, dedicated oversight from a task force led by senior leadership, and the appropriate amount of engineering rigor to ensure the Navy implements the third party’s assessment, which must be completed prior to defueling. The Hawaii Department of Health must certify this plan before it can be implemented. While we all want to ensure this is done quickly, it must be done safely. We cannot sacrifice safety for speed.

“As we move forward, transparency, accountability, and collaboration among all stakeholders will be of the utmost importance. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I will continue to conduct rigorous oversight to ensure the Navy and the Department of Defense honor the commitments they made in this plan and communicate regularly with impacted communities, state and local agencies, and other stakeholders.”

Senator Hirono steps on Red Hill:

On June 16, she secured several key provisions in the Senate markup of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) related to Red Hill, including language to authorize $1 billion in funding for the closure of Red Hill, direct DoD to appoint a single point of contact to lead the closure of Red Hill, and establish a water monitoring program at the facility.
On April 12, she hosted the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee for a tour of Red Hill.
On April 7, questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about next steps for fuel storage and environmental remediation at Red Hill in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
On March 29, Senator Hirono applauded the inclusion of $1 billion in funding to close Red Hill in President Biden’s FY2023 budget.
On March 29, Senator Hirono questioned U.S. Commanders about the Department of Defense’s bulk fuel storage strategy in the Pacific in light of the announced closure of Red Hill.
On March 10, Senator Hirono questioned U.S. commanders about the Department of Defense’s future fuel storage needs in the pacific following the decision to close Red Hill.
On March 9, Senator Hirono released a statement applauding the $686 million in funding for the Red Hill water contamination crisis that was included in the fiscal year 2022 omnibus spending bill.
On March 7, Senator Hirono expressed her strong support regarding the Department of Defense’s decision to defuel and permanently shut down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
On March 3, Senator Hirono sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment. In her letter, she urged them to support her efforts in ensuring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the resources it needs to continue addressing the water contamination caused by the fuel leak.
On February 22, Senator Hirono toured the Red Hill facility and met business owners at the NEX Food Court who have been impacted by the Navy’s contaminated water system.
On February 17, Senator Hirono applauded Senate passage of the continuing resolution-legislation to keep the government funded—which included $350 million to address the Red Hill crisis. Senator Hirono will continue to fight for additional funding to defuel safely and for the DoD to develop and implement a long-term plan to meet the strategic fueling needs of the Indo Pacific region in the upcoming fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
On February 11, Senator Hirono released a statement where she reiterated that the State of Hawaii has the authority to shut down Red Hill through its permitting process—and that she will fully support the State’s decision.
As the Department of Defense considers options for the long-term strategic fuel reserve needs of the Indo Pacific region, Senator Hirono sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense urging the Department to focus on options that do not rely on Red Hill, given the likelihood that the facility will be shutdown. Senator Hirono requested the briefing and the completed analysis by March 30 to ensure the NDAA includes necessary provisions to protect Hawaii’s water and our national security.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Hirono highlighted the Red Hill water contamination crisis as she questioned Robert Storch, nominee to be Inspector General of the DoD, and Christopher Lowman, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment. She inquired about the continuation of the Inspector General (IG) investigation into operations at Red Hill and potential strategies to address any long-term impacts, should the State elect to shut down the Red Hill facility. A link to download video of the exchange is available here.
In December, the DoD IG announced their intent to open an investigation into the Navy’s ability to safely operate Red Hill at the request of Senator Hirono and the Hawaii Congressional delegation. Senator Hirono asked Mr. Storch, if confirmed, whether he would commit to continuing the current investigation into Red Hill. The Senator emphasized the importance of completing the investigation, regardless of whether the facility is allowed to continue its operations.

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