HONOLULU — The U.S. navy on Wednesday mentioned it now expects to take away gasoline from a leaky Hawaii gasoline tank farm in July 2024, 5 months sooner than its preliminary plan.
Critics have lambasted the U.S. Division of Protection’s unique timeline to take away the gasoline from the Pink Hill Bulk Gas Storage Facility by December 2024, saying the tanks posed a risk to Oahu’s water provide and wanted to be drained sooner.
The state Division of Well being ordered the gasoline eliminated after jet gasoline from the ability poured right into a consuming water effectively in November and poisoned hundreds of individuals in and round Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
The well being division, which regulates underground gasoline storage tanks in Hawaii, mentioned it was reviewing the brand new plan.
“We’re centered on guaranteeing that defueling takes place as rapidly and safely as doable,” Kathleen Ho, the state’s deputy director of environmental well being, mentioned in an announcement. “There’s a continued risk to our aquifer and residents on daily basis that gasoline stays within the Pink Hill tanks.”
The navy mentioned in a information launch that it moved up the projected completion date after figuring out some actions might be performed in parallel. It additionally shrunk the precise defueling time from eight months to 5. It mentioned was dedicated to defuel Pink Hill “safely whereas consolidating and accelerating work at each alternative.”
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz mentioned Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin should rapidly title a commander to a joint job power answerable for defueling the tanks.
“Shutting down Pink Hill can’t be delayed. Whereas the up to date plan to shut the ability sooner is a step in the fitting route, DOD should make it a precedence to maneuver quick and completely shut down Pink Hill as rapidly as doable,” Schatz mentioned in an announcement.
The tanks can maintain 250 million gallons (1.1 billion liters) of gasoline, and they’re at lower than half capability proper now. Officers mentioned that 13 of the 20 tanks have gasoline in them, two are completely closed and 5 are being repaired.
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