It was déjà vu all over again in the headlines: “Navy confirms 1,000-gallon fuel release at Red Hill.”
We’ve seen this movie before, haven’t we?
Recently, 1,000 gallons of fuel leaked from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Facility operated by the United States Navy. According to officials, the leak came from a distribution pipeline and the containment system functioned “as designed” to keep the fuel contained within the facility, with no indication that fuel was released to the environment.
Unfortunately, such leaks are recurring incidents. Anxieties about the threat of petrochemicals leaking and tainting our pristine groundwater spiked in 2014, when 27,000 gallons of fuel leaked from one tank during maintenance.
Recent studies show a 34% chance of a release of more than 120,000 gallons of fuel in the next 100 years. This is not a conservative estimate, as it does not account for natural disasters such as flooding, fires, or earthquakes.
As a Gulf War Veteran who served as a Marine officer, with two sons currently on active duty in the Navy, I understand the implications and the military’s need for strategic fuel supplies. However, we must take the steps necessary to relocate the fuel from the underground tanks immediately to protect public health.
Weak Delegation
The heart of the problem is our weak senatorial delegation, who don’t have the “juice” to secure the funding needed for this endeavor, or comment on this recurring issue. Where was their call for fuel tank funding to be included in the proposed infrastructure package? What we need is stronger bipartisan leadership.
As an elected official who must work in a bipartisan fashion for my community, I often think of Dan Inouye. People often joked here that Hawaii had three main industries: tourism, the military, and Senator Daniel Inouye. As a legendary congressional leader for the state, he funneled billions of dollars of funding for Hawaii’s infrastructure projects, including military bases.
For example, in 2010, more than $412 million was funneled into projects in Hawaii. Additionally, he built bipartisan relationships with Republicans like Ted Stevens of Alaska or Bob Dole of Kansas.
If Inouye were still alive, securing funding for Red Hill surely would have been no exception and the issue would be resolved by now.
Unlike the late Inouye, who did not let partisanship get in the way of working for the people, all we have are members who ridicule the other side. Senator Mazie Hirono condemns some of her Republican colleagues in a recent interview, saying, ”I don’t know how they (Republicans) live with themselves.”
Then she expects help with big projects? Forget about it. Who suffers? The people of Hawaii.
Our citizens’ interests and safety are paramount.
It is also unfair to blame the Navy while giving our two U.S. senators a pass on their lack of engagement on this issue. The Navy would gladly replace the tanks tomorrow if given the funding.
The silence from our senatorial delegation is deafening. It’s time for them to step up and secure more funding for the U.S. Navy to act on Red Hill immediately, put aside their hyper-partisanship rhetoric, and work for all the people of Hawaii.
We cannot afford complacency from our senators. Our citizens’ interests and safety are paramount.
As a solution, we should look to the well-thought-out project funding approaches taken at similar military fuel facilities in Point Loma, Ca., and Naval Base Kitsap Manchester in Washington. Without new efforts, we’ll drown in a sea of hyper-partisanship — and fuel.
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June 04, 2021 at 05:07PM
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Congress Should Lead On Replacing Red Hill Fuel Tanks - Honolulu Civil Beat
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