Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered the Navy to empty and permanently close the Red Hill bulk fuel-storage facility in Hawaii. Austin’s decision comes in the aftermath of reports that leakage of toxins has tainted the installation’s supply of potable water.
Austin ordered the Navy to produce a plan by May 31 to complete the process within one year. Defueling would begin once a plan of corrective actions is in place.
“This is the right thing to do,” Austin said of the facility, which was built in 1943. “Red Hill has served our armed forces will for many decades. But it makes a lot less sense now.”
Instead of a central fuel-storage site, Austin called for new ones that foster “advanced and resilient fueling capability” necessary to meet present and future challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. He also cited the importance of ensuring that workers and families have access to safe and clean drinking water.
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