Oahu Neighborhood Boards (NB) are speaking out. So far, over 20 out of 33 NBs have passed resolutions calling for the complete shutdown of the Red Hill fuel tanks to protect Oahu’s precious water source.
Neighborhood Boards that passed the resolution to shut down Red Hill fuel tanks to date include: Hawaii Kai, Kulioiuou-Kalani Iki, Kaimuki, Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights, Palolo, Manoa, McCully-Mo’ili’ili, Makiki-Tantalus, Ala Moana-Kaka’ako, Nu’uanu-Punchbowl, Downtown-Chinatown, Liliha/Pu’unui/’Alewa, Aiea, Miliani-Waipi’o, Kahalu’u, Kane’ohe, Waimanalo, Makakilo/Kapolei, Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village, Moanalua Gardens Community Association.
In November 2021, fuel spewed from a broken pipeline into the military’s drinking water which sickened families living in military and rental housing receiving Navy system water. To this day, many who drank, cooked, and bathed in that water are still suffering from serious health problems.
Red Hill fuel tanks are just 100 feet above the Southern Oahu Basal Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for Oahu. The aquifer is safe for now, but we cannot take the risk of future leaks. The Pentagon ordered the shutdown of Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (Red Hill), but needed repairs will take about two years before any fuel removal can be done.
This is too long; every day we wait, we are at risk of destroying Oahu’s source of drinking water. “We need more help in this endeavor to cover all Neighborhood Board meetings across the island,” says EJTF chair Susan Gorman-Chang. Contact Susan at environment@faithactionhawaii.org.
Faith Action’s Environmental Justice Task Force (EJTF) is part of Shut Down Red Hill Coalition (environmental groups and Native Hawaiian organizations) whose goal is to get 100% of NBs’ support and to present it to state and federal decision makers, including DOH, EPA, U.S. Navy, the Pentagon, President Biden and more.
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