Bill Text: HI HR4 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing The House Special Committee On Red Hill To Address Issues Related To The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Water Contamination And Remediation, And All Related Impacts.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 46-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-01-31 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HR4 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-HR4-Introduced.html
|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
4 |
|
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
|
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
HOUSE RESOLUTION
establishing the house special committee on red hill to address issues related to the red hill bulk fuel storage facility, water contamination and remediation, and all related impacts.
WHEREAS, the House of Representatives finds that the State of Hawaii faces an emergency that requires immediate and decisive action; and
WHEREAS, on November 28, 2021, users of the Navy's Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam water system complained of a fuel odor coming from their water, as well as an oily sheen on their water; and
WHEREAS, numerous residents reported their families and pets experienced health issues after consuming the water, including rashes, mouth sores, stomach aches, vomiting, burning eyes, sore throats, headaches, and nausea; and
WHEREAS, on November 29, 2021, the Department of Health issued an advisory to all users on the Navy's water system to avoid using the tap water for drinking, cooking, or oral hygiene and also advised that users who detect a fuel odor from their water should avoid using the water for drinking, cooking, bathing, dishwashing, laundry, or oral hygiene; and
WHEREAS, as a direct result of the water contamination, over three thousand residents were required to move out of their homes and several businesses were shut down or were forced to limit their operations; and
WHEREAS, several Hawaii public schools and child development centers on the Navy water system were also impacted by the water contamination, forced to close off sinks and water fountains and use only bottled water for handwashing, dishwashing, and drinking purposes; and
WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply, to protect its drinking water system, has shut down multiple water sources, including the Halawa Shaft, which supplies approximately twenty percent of water to urban Honolulu; and
WHEREAS, the suspected source of the water contamination was from a November 20, 2021, release of approximately fourteen thousand gallons of a mixture of water and fuel from a crack in a fire suppression drain line at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility; and the United States Navy has identified JP-5, or jet fuel, in the Red Hill Shaft, one of the drinking water sources for the Navy water system; and
WHEREAS, as of December 3, 2021, the Department of Health received nearly five hundred complaints, mostly from residents or customers served by the Navy water system, complaining of fuel or chemical smells from the drinking water; and
WHEREAS, on December 6, 2021, this body sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, to request that the Navy prepare a plan to decommission the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and store the fuel in an alternate location; and to request a detailed plan for a water treatment facility to address potential contamination as a result of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility; and
WHEREAS, also on December 6, 2021, the Department of Health issued an emergency order requiring the United States Navy to immediately suspend operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, as it represents "an imminent peril to human health and safety or the environment" and to take measures to treat contaminated drinking water at the Red Hill Shaft and to safely remove all fuel from the twenty underground storage tanks at Red Hill; and
WHEREAS, the emergency order also stated that, given the number of incidences that have occurred at Red Hill over the past year, and in view of the current drinking water contamination, the United States Navy has not demonstrated and cannot ensure that immediate and appropriate response actions are available or will be available should another fuel release occur in the future; and
WHEREAS, on January 3, 2022, the Department of Health issued its Final Decision, Order, Findings of Fact, and Conclusions of Law, upholding the December 6, 2021, emergency order; and
WHEREAS, this body agrees with and fully supports the December 6, 2021, emergency order and the January 3, 2022, final decision by the Department of Health; and
WHEREAS, the continued operation of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, consisting of twenty field-constructed underground storage tanks, pipelines, and related infrastructure, is an unacceptable threat to Oahu's groundwater aquifer; and
WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency designated Oahu's groundwater aquifer source as one of nine sole-source aquifers and determined that this is the principal source of drinking water for Oahu and if contaminated, would create a significant hazard to public health; and
WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply is exercising all due caution and will not reopen its Aiea and Halawa shafts until it can confirm that its systems will not be negatively impacted by contaminants migrating from Red Hill; and
WHEREAS, the permanent loss of water supply from the Aiea and Halawa shafts could lead to water restrictions or shortages and have a cascading effect on construction, schools, public health and safety; and
WHEREAS, on December 21, 2021, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, established the House Interim Committee on Red Hill and appointed the following members:
(1) Representative Ryan I. Yamane, Co-Chair;
(2) Representative Nicole E. Lowen, Co-Chair;
(3) Representative Sonny Ganaden;
(4) Representative Linda Ichiyama;
(5) Representative Aaron Ling Johanson;
(6) Representative Lauren Matsumoto;
(7) Representative Takashi Ohno; and
(8) Representative David A. Tarnas; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the House Interim Committee was to recommend legislative proposals for the 2022 Regular Session that focus on the containment, treatment, and prevention of water quality matters related to Red Hill; and
WHEREAS, on December 29, 2021, the House Interim Committee on Red Hill conducted a joint informational briefing with the Senate to receive updates from the Navy regarding the water contamination and remediation; and
WHEREAS, the House Interim Committee on Red Hill also discussed legislation for 2022 and, among other items, recommended continuation of the committee during the 2022 Regular Session to address emerging issues regarding Red Hill; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that there is established the House Special Committee on Red Hill, to address issues related to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, water contamination and remediation, and all related impacts; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Special Committee shall consist of the co-chairs and members of the House Interim Committee on Red Hill; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Special Committee may conduct informational briefings on issues related to Red Hill and take any other actions as the committee deems appropriate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Special Committee meet and report on a regular basis to the House of Representatives.
|
|
OFFERED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
|
|
|
House Special Committee on Red Hill; Established
