Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2022 — OHA CALLS FOR SHUT DOWN OF THE NAVY'S RED HILL FUEL TANKS [ARTICLE]

OHA CALLS FOR SHUT DOWN OF THE NAVY'S RED HILL FUEL TANKS

Ō(jCU 0 kjCU UMW PROTECT OUR WATER

Statement issued by Chair Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey on Dec. 1, 2021 The OfRce of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) strongly supports Gov. Ige and the Hawai'i congressional delegation's eall to shut down the Navy's Red Hill fuel tanks before permanent, irreparable damage is done to our aquifer and 0'ahu's main source of elean drinking water is lost forever. A complete emergency shut down and full assessment of the Red Hill facility is necessary to protect our precious water resources. Immediate measures should be taken to treat contaminated drinking water in the Red Hill well shaft, and fuel should be swiftly and safely removed from all 20 underground storage tanks. This is a long-standing issue. The tanks were built in the I940s and were not made to last forever. Over the years, more than 180,000 gallons of fuel have leaked from the tanks and tests show they are corroding underground. A mere 100 feet helow the leaking fuel tanks is the Southern O'ahu Basal Aquifer - the primary source of drinking water for O'ahu. This aquifer alone provides drinking water for over 400,000 Hawai'i residents and visitors ffom Hālawa to Hawai'i Kai. The Navy's abysmal failure to address this major, ongoing environmental issue has already drastically impacted

military families affected by the latest Red Hill fuel leak. The wellbeing of all Hawai'i residents that depend on the Southern O'ahu aquifer are being severely jeopardized by the Navy's egregious negligence. The Navy ean no longer brush aside puhlie concerns. Urgent and immediate action must be taken to protect our water resources. The U.S. Military has a long history of poor stewardship of Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources. At places like Kaho'olawe, Pōhakuloa, Mākua and Kahuku, time after time the people of Hawai'i have been left to elean up after the military ravages our sacred lands - from unexploded ordnance and toxic waste to the loss of cultural and historic sites and endangered native species - without even appropriating resources to hnanee these efforts. In the case of Kaho'olawe, the island's eap rock was destroyed by years of relentless bombing by the Navy so there ean never be a freshwater source for the island. Trust is earned and the Navy has not demonstrated that it ean be entrusted with the stewardship of our most precious resource, elean water. Indeed, the Navy's laek of transparency with an issue this critical to Hawai'i Nei has simply been shocking. As the events of the Red Hill fuel leaks unfold, OHA's Board of Trustees is concurrently reviewing the pub-

lished Hawai'i Military Land Use Master Plan, including proposed military expansions, for alignment and accountability to overall land, water and cultural stewardship pono practices. Immediate action is needed to protect our water resources. OHA continues to support the Sierra Club of Hawai'i's eall to find a long-term solution to this critical issue. It is a fundamental truth that wai gives life ma ka honua nei and we uphold the principle of water as a puhlie trust. We recognize that wai is central to the Native Hawaiian worldview and who we are as a people, connecting past, present and future generations. We aeknowledge the vital importance of wai to all people, yet also its unique significance to Native Hawaiians. Our kuleana as a leader is to help protect Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources, redress ongoing injustices and promote pono stewardship practices. It is OHA policy to advocate for appropriate, responsible and just land and water stewardship practices and values throughout Hawai'i, empowering OHA and communities to carry the shared responsibility of protecting and ensuring the proper management of our natural and cultural resources. ■