“We are doing this because it is the right thing to do,” said Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) and Navy Region Hawaii. “We have made this deliberate decision as a result of our steadfast commitment to the people of Hawaii, our service members, civilians, contractors and their families.”

The Extended Drinking Water Monitoring (EDWM) program, which the Navy freely and purposefully developed, will begin in April at the end of the current Drinking Water Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) requirements and run for 12 additional months. To date, the Navy has conducted more than 8,000 samples since the beginning of the LTM efforts; and the data collected demonstrates that Navy’s drinking water continues to meet all Federal and State drinking water standards. Sample results can be found at www.jbphh-safewaters.org.

The new monitoring plan is under final review and coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH). The plan will continue to supplement Safe Drinking Water Act compliance requirements, but implement a more investigatory approach to drinking water concerns, including low-level total petroleum hydrocarbon detections. The military and regulatory agencies will ensure public health concerns are evaluated and addressed. This includes executing a seamless transition from the LTM program to the EDWM program.

For more information about NCTF-RH, visit www.navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil.