Red Hill Fuel Tanks Violate Clean Air Act
Senators moving too slow
HONOLULU – The tanks are emitting untreated petroleum vapors into the air in violation of the Clean Air Act standards, leaks continue into the ground increasing the danger of the fuel plumes.
State Representative Bob McDermott (R-40, Ewa, Ewa Beach, Ewa Gentry, Iroquois Point),says documents show that Red Hill Fuel Tanks vent vapors from each tank exhaust into the atmosphere toward the top of the ridge. “It is not regulated nor are there any filters to reduce the emissions,” McDermott adds.
The tanks built in 1942 did not have to comply with the clean air act, not originally enacted until 1963. The State Department of Health which regulates these matters is unaware of this issue since they have no record of this issue. The Navy also claims no knowledge of it; yet their own documents state the need to, “rebuild the tank exhaust system to bring it into compliance with the clean air act to control emissions from the evaporation of fuels.”
Still storing approximately 180 million gallons of fuel, the old tanks spew air pollution and the 5,800 gallon per year fuel leaks continue, with no end in sight. I predict that “mysterious safety issues” will keep delaying the closure until the matter dies a death of benign neglect. The Senatorial delegation’s collective lack of urgency is breathtaking, it took self-described “climate hawk” Sen. Schatz until February 2022 of this year to call for closure – while I did it last September 2021.
The Democrats own this issue; The President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy and congressional delegation are all DEMOCRATS. They oversee both legislative branches and the executive branch yet cannot get it closed. They cannot or will not get the 4 billion dollars needed to close it…just drips and drabs to fix the damage already done.
Let me see a Decommissioning date. We can’t even get a “target” closure date. What is the closure date? There is none. All this while they blame the Navy, yet the Navy does what they are told by the Democratic leadership currently in charge. Period.
I will get it immediately Decommissioned and emptied within 18 months of taking office.
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