Petroleum From Red Hill Leaks May Be Lingering In Pearl Harbor Drinking Water

A new EPA report lends credence to complaints that residents say were otherwise falling on deaf ears.

Photo: The Navy has been testing the Red Hill well and Pearl Harbor area water spigots for contamination under a regulatory agreement with the EPA and state Health Department. (U.S. Navy photo/2022)

For months, some Pearl Harbor residents have been concerned that residual water contamination from a 2021 fuel spill could be causing ongoing health problems.

They’ve reported oily sheens on their water and rashes on their children. One resident told the EPA they filled their fish tank with tap water and saw all their fish die overnight.

But their water provider, the U.S. Navy, has insisted the water is safe.

Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is backing residents’ concerns. In an investigative report released this week, the EPA said that recent test results from four homes may suggest a problem in the Navy water distribution system or within the plumbing of Pearl Harbor homes. 

“Sampling results appeared to demonstrate the potential trace presence of petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel in three of the four homes,” the EPA said. 

The agency is now urging the Navy to investigate the root cause. 

The Navy has already launched an investigation into residents’ plumbing. The EPA is asking it to share the test results from that investigation with the EPA and state Health Department and continue testing past a previously agreed-upon target date of February 2024, according to a letter from the EPA’s regional enforcement director, Amy Miller, to Navy Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of Navy Region Hawaii.

The EPA also advised the Navy to provide alternative water to any residents who complain about their water quality.

n a statement, Navy Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett agreed to conduct further testing, share the results with regulators and continue testing in March 2024 and beyond.

“My team has worked with the EPA and numerous stakeholders to sample and test these homes so all our residents can be assured their water remains safe and clean,” said Barnett, commander of Navy Region Hawaii. “We remain committed to constant communication with EPA and DOH, our residents, and the broader community as we continue to ensure this water remains safe.”  

The contamination crisis began in 2021 when fuel from the Navy’s Red Hill storage facility leaked into the water supply serving more than 90,000 people. Hundreds of people reported health symptoms including vomiting, gastrointestinal issues, rashes and pregnancy complications.

Since then, the Navy has shuttered the Red Hill well and has flushed the system repeatedly with uncontaminated water from a separate nearby source, the Waiawa shaft. 

However, the Navy never replaced the PVC pipes throughout its distribution system or within Pearl Harbor area homes. And many homes are still using appliances like hot water heaters through which contaminated water flowed. Some residents have asked for replacement heaters but have been denied.

One such resident who spoke to the EPA said the Navy told them the water heater would only be replaced if it was “unable to actually heat the water,” according to the agency’s report. 

Residents have suspected for some time that […]

Full article: www.civilbeat.org