PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Joint Task Force Red Hill will begin “repacking” the pipelines on Monday, according to a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • Two of the three pipelines at the Red Hill facility will be repacked in preparation for gravity-based defueling of the underground storage tanks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility 

  • The third pipeline is not necessary to defuel the Red Hill facility and will remain empty

  • The process of removing 104 million gallons of fuel via gravity is set to begin on Oct. 16, 2023, and will be completed by Jan. 19, 2024

  • The Joint Task Force Red Hill also completed 253 repairs to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

Repacking involves putting fuel back in the pipelines in order to remove air before gravity-based defueling of the underground storage tanks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility will begin. The operation will take several days. 

Two of the three pipelines at the Red Hill facility will be repacked. The third pipeline is not necessary to defuel the Red Hill facility and will remain empty. 

The process of removing 104 million gallons of fuel via gravity is set to begin on Oct. 16, 2023, and will be completed by Jan. 19, 2024, according to Joint Task Force Red Hill. 

The Joint Task Force Red Hill also completed 253 repairs to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The repairs were approved by the Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Before we reintroduce fuel into the pipelines for repacking, we’ve made every effort to reduce risk, increase safety, and protect the environment,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of JTF-RH. “We completed 253 repairs, conducted rigorous testing, obtained regulator approvals for repairs, enhancements, modifications, and conducted multiple drills to prepare for this critical evolution.” 

Sen. Mazie Hirono said in a news release that she was briefed by Wade on the repacking process. During her call with Wade, she emphasized the importance of safety. 

“The repacking of the fuel tank pipelines is a crucial step towards the safe defueling and permanent closure of Red Hill,” said Hirono. “During my call with Admiral Wade, I reiterated the importance of prioritizing the safety of our communities throughout this process, and Admiral Wade concurred — highlighting the preparation his Task Force has done, along with state and federal agencies, to ensure this process occurs safely and without incident.”

After the gravity-based defueling is completed, up to 400,000 gallons of fuel will remain in the tanks and will still need to be removed. 

In May and Nov. 2021, the U.S. Navy spilled fuel at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. As a result of the spills, about 93,000 people who lived around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and used the Navy’s water system were impacted by the contaminated drinking water. As a result, the Hawaii Department of Health issued an emergency order requiring the Red Hill facility to be closed. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

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