U.S. Navy promises to fix the Hawaii water contamination crisis

House lawmakers on Tuesday criticized the Navy for its initial response to the fuel leak in Hawaii that has contaminated the tap water for thousands of families. 

"The Navy caused this problem, we own it, and we are going to fix it,"  Rear Admiral Brendan Converse, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in his opening statement at a virtual hearing in front of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness. 

The Navy started receiving reports of discolored water that smelled like diesel fuel and of families with symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, headaches, and eye and skin irritation. A fuel leak from the Navy's Red Hill underground fuel storage facility is suspected to have spread to a water well serving thousands. 

Initially, the Navy thought only a small area would be affected by the contamination, but they were wrong. 

"Were there miscues in communications? Yes. And was it impactful to our residents? Yes," Converse told lawmakers. "It was based on poor information and -- and frankly poor judgment." 

Converse said the Navy expects an investigation this week into the fuel leak and the connection with the water contamination. The investigation will also look into how many gallons of jet fuel were released in the leak and if there is any connection with another leak in May 2021. The working assumption for the cause of both leaks is "operator error," according to Converse. 

The Navy suspended operations at Red Hill in December and has been treating the water. And according to Converse, the Navy on Friday began its compliance with the Hawaii Department of Health's Emergency Order to drain the Red Hill facility and make repairs. The original order was issued in December, but the Navy contested the order until the health officials reaffirmed the need for it last week. 

 Converse did not know if the Navy might explore options to contest the order. Two U.S. Representatives from the Hawaii delegation emphasized the importance of compliance with the order.  

"This is not only a matter of the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of residents of Hawaii and visitors to Hawaii, but it is critical to the support, confidence and trust of the people in the U.S. military and in our mission in the Indo-Pacific," Democratic U.S. Representative Ed Case of Hawaii said during the hearing. 

Democratic Representative Kaialii Kahele of Hawaii told the Navy officials testifying that since November, many families in Hawaii have been living "a nightmare," having been displaced from their homes ahead of the holidays. Vice Admiral Yancy Lindsey, the head of Navy Installations Command, told Kahele the Navy expects to start moving families back to their homes in late January and continue through mid-February. 

The cost of responding to this crisis so far is "well over $250 million" according to Converse, if you factor in the lodging, transportation, and renting of equipment to clean up the contaminated water. 

The emergency order from the Department of Health requires the Navy to submit an implementation plan for draining the facility and making repairs within 30 days. Converse said compliance will require a quick turnaround, but the Navy is working to abide by the timelines outlined in the order.