In the latest of the Hawaii congressional delegation’s ongoing efforts to address the full range of issues related to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz is calling on the U.S. Navy to ensure the current and future safety of residents of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

What You Need To Know

  • In the letter, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said the Navy should work to ensure that tenants are notified if their unit was previously exposed to contamination from the Red Hill leak

  • Schatz cited the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a tenants’ bill of rights requiring landlords to provide prospective tenants with a maintenance summary dating back seven years, at least five business days before a lease is signed

  • Schatz also urged the Navy to “take the maximum steps possible” to make sure that appliances in homes that were affected by the contamination are properly remediated and continue to respond and follow up with ongoing resident concerns about their health and safety

  • The Hawaii delegation has been outspoken in its reaction to the spills, plans for the ongoing defueling and decommissioning of the facility, and the Department of Defense’s overall culpability and obligations in relation to the situation

“While I am pleased to see that the Navy has undergone efforts to provide for the safety of families who were exposed, it is imperative that the Navy continues to explore and execute on authorities available to it and its partners to ensure the long-term confidence and safety of residents at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,” Schatz wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “It is crucial that their homes and appliances continue to be safe from previous fuel contamination and any potential subsequent incidents, and that they can feel confident that is the case.”

In the letter, Schatz said the Navy should work to ensure that tenants are notified if their unit was previously exposed to contamination from the Red Hill leak.

Schatz cited the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a tenants’ bill of rights requiring landlords to provide prospective tenants with a maintenance summary dating back seven years, at least five business days before a lease is signed.

Schatz also urged the Navy to “take the maximum steps possible” to make sure that appliances in homes that were affected by the contamination are properly remediated and continue to respond and follow up with ongoing resident concerns about their health and safety.

The Hawaii delegation has been outspoken in its reaction to the spills, plans for the ongoing defueling and decommissioning of the facility, and the Department of Defense’s overall culpability and obligations in relation to the situation.

Last month, Schatz joined the Hawaii congressional delegation in asking for an independent investigation into how the Department of Defense and the Navy responded to PFAS-based contamination events at Red Hill, and calling on the Department of Defense to step up its efforts to assist people experiencing health issues as a result of water contamination.