JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Department of the Navy (DON) today submitted to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) Supplement 1 to the Red Hill Tank Closure Plan. In response to the DOH’s January 11, 2023 letter with comments and requests for information (RFIs) on the plan, this supplement includes more details on tank and pipeline cleaning, waste management, spill response, updates to the closure schedule, and responses to the RFIs.
“This supplement provides more detail on a safe and effective path for the closure of the Red Hill Facility,” said Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of theNavy (Energy, Installations, and Environment).“The Department of the Navy is committed to minimizing further impacts to the environment, public health, and safety.”
DOH has indicated they will approve the Tank Closure Plan by individual sections as the DON continues to address their comments in future supplements. Supplement 2 will provide additional detail to support ‘Closure in Place’ as the permanent closure method for the underground storage tanks, and include a third-party analysis of the long-term structural integrity of the tanks, considering issues such as corrosion, seismic events, and post-closure monitoring and maintenance of the facility.
“We will continue to keep the community informed and will share additional information on the process the public can use to submit input on beneficial non-fuel reuse as soon as it is available,” said Rear Adm. Barnett, commander,Navy Region Hawaii. “We continue to prioritize transparency and value the public’s engagement as we move towards the safe closure of Red Hill.
”Following DOH approval of Supplement 1, the DON will commence tank and pipeline cleaning as early as possible once the Joint Task Force Red Hill completes defueling Red Hill, which is currently targeted for June 2024.The DON estimates closure in place to take three years, projecting that the closure will be complete in June 2027.
To find more information and download the full Red Hill Tank Closure Plan Supplement 1, visit https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Operations-and-Management/Red-Hill/.