The fuel leak occurred at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam in 2021.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Division has issued settlement payments to hundreds of plaintiffs who made claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act as a result of jet fuel spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, over four years ago. Hundreds of other plaintiffs are in various stages of the settlement process.
The leak, which occurred in November 2021, released 20,000 gallons of a water-fuel mixture from a drain line. The spill contaminated the aquifer for thousands of military families and residents near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, prompting temporary relocations and public outcry over the Navy’s handling of the crisis.
The state of Hawaii ordered the U.S. Navy to drain the storage facility’s underground tanks in December 2021. After various legal proceedings, the Pentagon finally began to decommission the underground fuel storage in the fall of 2023. Leaks had occurred at the World War II-era storage facility periodically since 2014.
The Navy is proceeding with plans to build a permanent onsite granular activated carbon water treatment system with associated utilities and infrastructure.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Acting Secretary Hung Cao to be discerning as he heads the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
- For Rear Adm. B.J. Collins as he commands Navy Region Hawaii and oversees restoration efforts at Red Hill.
- For Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward as they coordinate the settlement payment process.
Sources: Justice Department, Military.com, The Hill, Navy Times, Stars and Stripes, Hawaii News Now, Task and Purpose
