PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — The Navy will begin removing residual fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Jan. 15 with regulatory approval, according to a news release from the Joint Task Force Red Hill. 

On Dec. 16, 2023, the Navy completed the removal of 104 gallons of fuel via gravity.

Inside pipelines at Red Hill, 64,000 gallons of fuel remains. The residual could not be drained by gravity because it is caught at low points in the pipelines. 

The JTF-RH will open low point drains and vent valves, which will remove 60,000 gallons of fuel. 

After JTF-RH completes this process in March, 4,000 gallons of fuel and 28,000 gallons of sludge will remain in the storage tanks. 

The newly established Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill will remove the remaining fuel and sludge.

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.