Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill Operational Update

12 April 2024

From Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill Public Affairs

Since the assumption of authority for the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) on March 28, 2024, Navy Closure Task Force – Red Hill (NCTF-RH) began and accomplished several initiatives:

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A Navy contractor cleans the interior of a fuel oil reclamation tank at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) on Halawa, Hawaii March 15, 2024. The tank, which had been used for fuel oil recovery, will be cleaned and used to store rinse water while Navy Closure Task Force – Red Hill (NCTF-RH) personnel clean the main fuel tanks at the RHBFSF. The evolution was conducted in close coordination with Joint Task Force-Red Hill (JTF-RH) as NCTF-RH learns and transitions operations from the JTF-RH. Charged with the safe decommissioning of the RHBFSF, NCTF-RH was established by the Department of the Navy as a commitment to the community and the environment. The Navy continues to engage with the people of Hawaii, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders as NCTF-RH works to safely and deliberately decommission the RHBFSF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Luke McCall)

Voluntary establishment of the Extended Drinking Water Monitoring (EDWM) program. The Navy will continue extensive drinking water sampling of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam drinking water system for another year. The EDWM plan picked up after the completion of the long-term monitoring program which ended last month.
Removal of fuel piping spools and valves from the base of Red Hill Tanks 7 and 8. The spools are short segments of piping and valves that isolate the main tanks from the pipelines leading from the facility on Red Hill to the underground pump house on JBPHH. Removing the spools and valves is a preparatory step in advance of ventilation and tank cleaning.
Preparation for tank cleaning: NCTF-RH contractor personnel cleaned and prepared a fuel reclamation tank at the facility on Red Hill that will be used to collect the rinse water from main tank cleaning. They used the opportunity to practice the same skills required to clean the main fuel storage tanks.
Creation of a Water Quality Action Team. Made up of water, environmental, and medical professionals and other experts, the team focuses on the quality of drinking water. The team responds to water quality issues at the homes of concerned residents and will assess potential water quality concerns such as household water chemistry, chlorine levels, water temperature, and potential plumbing concerns including water heater and appliance operation and maintenance.
Extension of the operations and breadth of the Red Hill Clinic. At the request of the Navy, the Red Hill Clinic will continue operations for an additional year. The clinic provides medical assessments for all TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries and individuals granted Secretarial Designee status who are experiencing symptoms they believe may be related to the November 2021 Red Hill fuel release.

Residence Resources Guide. NCTF-RH created a Resident Resource Guide that provides fact sheets on water quality questions. The guide includes information about the Navy Water Quality Action Team process, how to navigate the JBPHH-Safe Waters website at www.jbphh-safewaters.org, how to read drinking water test results from analytical laboratories, understanding Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, and drinking water quality compliance monitoring. NCTF-RH will update the Resource Guide as new information becomes available. The Resident Resource Guide can be found in the NCTF-RH App’s Resource Center or on the NCTF-RH webpage (www.navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil/document-library/).

“The Navy now has full responsibility of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, and we are moving out to accomplish our primary mission of closing it and remediating the environment,” said Rear Adm. Steve Barnett, commander, NCTF-RH. “We have developed a detailed schedule in close coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and Hawaii Department of Health that lays out a safe and deliberate approach to this complex set of tasks. I’m confident in our team and our plan and look forward to providing regular updates on our progress to the community through our many public engagement activities.”

Rear Adm. Steve Barnett, commander, Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill (NCTF-RH), gives a speech to attendees of the transfer of authority ceremony for the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF), on the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, March 28, 2024. During the ceremony NCTF-RH assumed responsibility for the RHBFSF from Joint Task Force-Red Hill. NCTF-RH will work with all government agencies and community stakeholders to safely and deliberately close the RHBFSF underground storage tanks and associated piping system, conduct long-term environmental remediation, and ensure continued access to safe drinking water in compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws, policies, and regulations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Luke McCall)

Duane Morita, laboratory director, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Hawaii, takes notes during water sample testing at Environmental Services Laboratory, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 5. The ongoing monitoring efforts are part of the Navy’s enduring, long-term commitment to ensure the safety of the environment and public health. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Krystal Diaz)

Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, Commander, Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH), escorts Vice Adm. Scott Gray, Commander, Navy Installations Command, during a visit to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF), Halawa, Hawaii, Feb. 6, 2024.

Contractors working for Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill (NCTF-RH) move a disassembled section of diesel fuel pipe outside of an entrance to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Mar. 27, 2024. Charged with the safe decommissioning of the RHBFSF, NCTF-RH was established by the Department of the Navy as a commitment to the community and the environment. The Navy continues to engage with the people of Hawaii, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders as NCTF-RH works to safely and deliberately decommission the RHBFSF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Glenn Slaughter)

In the next month NCTF-RH will execute more tasks aimed at closure, including:

Removal of AFFF Concentrate. NCTF-RH began AFFF concentrate removal on April 8. Approximately 90% has been successfully drained, removing a major threat to the aquifer.
Tank cleaning preparations. Once tanks are safe for personnel entry, suspended scaffolding will be installed to initiate the tank cleaning process. These structures will allow for workers to clean the internal surfaces of the tanks.

“We will continue to take a deliberate and engaged approach as we move from one phase of the closure process to the next,” Barnett said.

NCTF-RH is committed to working with all government agencies and community stakeholders to safely and deliberately close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility underground storage tanks and associated piping system, conduct long-term environmental remediation, and ensure continued access to safe drinking water in compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws, policies and regulations.

For more information about NCTF-RH, visit navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil or download the mobile app by searching for “NCTF-Red Hill” in the Apple App store or Google Play store. For imagery, video and other digital media please visit our DVIDS site here: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/NCTF-RH

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