Pearl Harbor Jet Fuel Spill: The Navy reprimanded three retired officers for the 2021 jet fuel accident in Pearl Harbor. This choice has sparked debate. No one faced consequences due to the incident.
Due to the Red Hill accident, military families fell ill, and Honolulu’s water supply remains at risk.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro censured three rear admirals. He also had other officials’ military medals taken away.
Del Toro stressed the importance of accountability for rebuilding community trust. He disliked the situation and reassured that the Navy would rectify it.
According to a Navy investigation, fuel leaked into a well used by homes and companies at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for water. Due to this, around 6,000 people experienced symptoms such as headaches and rashes.
An investigation found a pipe burst on May 6, 2021, due to a transfer mistake with gasoline. This released 21,000 gallons of fuel. Most of the energy was left in a fire control line for six months, causing it to sag. On November 20, a cart accident released 20,000 gallons of oil into a French drain and water well.
Despite the Navy’s assurance of Oahu’s water safety, various groups were upset about the spill, including environmentalists, soldiers, Native Hawaiians, liberals, and conservatives.
Wayne Tanaka of the Sierra Club of Hawaii called the reprimands “outrageous” due to the significant damage caused by the spill and the ongoing threat to the aquifer.
ALSO READ: White House Smoke Mystery: Mark Meadows Peculiar Papers
Before complying, the military resisted Hawaii’s order to empty WWII tanks for months. They’ve been fixing machinery for the past year to safely remove fuel. The operation starts next month and ends on January 19.
Officers who received letters of censure from Del Toro include Rear Adm. (retired) Peter Stamatopoulos, in charge of the Naval Supply Systems Command during the spills, Rear Adm. (retired) John Korka, in order of the Navy Facilities Engineering Command Pacific before the falls, and Rear Adm. (retired) Timothy Kott, in charge of Navy Region Hawaii during the November spill.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, said the Navy’s investigation found problems with oversight and command that must be fixed with responsibility. She expressed concern about the Navy leadership’s need for more urgency in addressing these issues. She vowed to continue advocating for necessary structural changes.
Also Read: Chizuko Ueno: Empowering Feminism in China Changing Landscape
Our Reader’s Queries
Was there jet fuel in the water in Pearl Harbor?
In just a few months, everything changed for them. A leak from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility tainted the drinking water for 90,000 people near the Pearl Harbor-Hickam Air Force Base. Tuck and her family are part of the 2,000 who got sick from drinking the contaminated water.
What was the fuel leak at Pearl Harbor?
The November 2021 leak poisoned the Navy’s water system, which provides water to 93,000 people in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The ongoing spill also poses a threat to an aquifer that supplies water to 400,000 residents of Oahu through Honolulu’s municipal water utility.
An inquiry by the Navy in the previous year determined that a sequence of mistakes led to the leakage of fuel into a well that provided water to residential areas and workplaces in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Approximately 6,000 individuals experienced feelings of nausea, headaches, rashes, and other symptoms.
What happened to the drinking water on the military base in Honolulu Hawaii?
In November 2021, a leak at a World War II-era fuel storage facility on Oahu led to water contamination at a military base, displacing thousands of residents from their homes.