US military to begin draining leaky fuel tank facility that poisoned Pearl Harbor drinking water
By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — Next week the U.S. military plans to begin draining fuel from World War II-era underground fuel tanks in Hawaii. Work to drain the 104 million gallons remaining in the tanks is scheduled to begin on Monday. The operation comes nearly two years after the facility sickened 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well. Removing the fuel is a key step toward shutting down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility as demanded by the state of Hawaii. The November 2021 spill poisoned the Navy’s water system serving 93,000 people in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.