HONOLULU, Hawaii —
Joint Task Force - Red Hill (JTF-RH) announced today it will begin defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) October 16, pending Hawaii Department of Health approval.
“After months of methodical planning, preparing and rehearsing, we are ready to begin defueling Red Hill and setting the conditions for its closure,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, JTF-RH Commander. “We have taken significant precautions to mitigate risk for safe operations, ensure preparedness to respond to contingencies, and protect the aquifer, environment, and human health as we defuel the facility.”
Defueling will involve removing approximately 104 million gallons of fuel stored in the facility through gravity draining, using pipelines that run through three miles of tunnels to a pier located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The fuel will then be loaded onto tanker ships and shipped to other fuel storage facilities. This process will take approximately three months to complete.
A JTF-RH video illustrating the defueling process can be found here: dvidshub.net/video/884473/mains-motion-graphic
JTF-Red Hill is committed to working with regulators and government stakeholders to ensure Red Hill is defueled safely, expeditiously, and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
For more information about JTF-RH, visit pacom.mil/jtf-red-hill/ or download the App by searching for “JTF–Red Hill” in the Apple App store or Google Play store.