The Navy simulated the recovery of a fuel oil spill from fuel lines at the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility on Thursday. 

The exercise is meant to prepare the Navy to respond to a spill during the removal of fuel from pipelines in the Red Hill facility, according to a news release. It was described as an important step in ongoing preparations to defuel and close the facility. 

The simulation was monitored by the Hawaii Department of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with personnel from the Navy Region Hawaii, the Federal Fire Department Hawaii, the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. 

“Demonstrating that our personnel have the ability to quickly and appropriately respond to a release or spill at Red Hill is crucial in our continued effort to safely and expeditiously defuel the facility,” Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, who led the exercise, said in a news release. “We remain committed to working closely with our partners in the Department of Health and Environmental Protection Agency to protect our community and our aquifer.”

Earlier in September, the Department of Defense submitted a new plan to defuel the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility to the Hawaii Department of Health, which shortened the timeline for defueling the facility from the end of 2024 to July 2024. 

On Monday, the Department of Defense announced that the U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Wade would be the Commander of the Red Hill Joint Task Force, and his sole responsibility is to safely and quickly defuel Red Hill. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii.