Defueling Plan
- Background
- Facility Assessment Report
- Hawai'i Department of Health Disapproval Decision
- EPA Comments on the Defueling Plan
- EPA Fact Sheet on the Defueling Plan
- EPA Quality Validation Report Approvals
- Unpacking Fuel Lines
Background
Under the Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH) May 6, 2022, Emergency Order, the US. Navy was ordered to submit to Hawai'i DOH report developed by an independent third-party contractor that evaluated deficiencies in infrastructure and operations at the Red Hill facility. Also, under the Hawai'i DOH Emergency Order, the U. S. Navy was ordered to submit to DOH a phased plan for defueling the Red Hill facility no later than June 30, 2022.
On June 30, 2022, the Secretary of the Navy in coordination with the Defense Logistics Agency issued a defueling plan on behalf of the Department of Defense. The plan provides interim milestones to be achieved throughout the defueling process and shares an initial timeline for defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility. This plan was submitted to the Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH) on June 30, 2022, to fulfill the requirements in Directive 4 of the DOH May 6, 2022, superseding Emergency Order (EO).
On September 7 and 28, 2022, The Navy submitted Defueling Plan Supplemental 1A and Supplemental 1B respectively to respond to EPA and DOH comments and provide additional information.
To view the defueling plan and supplemental documents, please visit the Department of Defense Defueling Plan, Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility page.
Facility Assessment Report
The Hawai’i Department of Health (DOH) Emergency Order ordered the Navy to contract a qualified independent third party to assess the operations and system integrity of the Red Hill facility to safely defuel the Bulk Fuel Storage Tanks. Navy contracted the firm Simpson Gumpertz & Herger Inc. and their subcontractor RiskTec to conduct the required facility assessment. Below are key documents resulting from the assessment:
- Third Party Final Assessment Report (pdf) (April 29, 2022)
Third Party Final Assessment Report of the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i. Prepared by Simpson Gumpertz & Herger. - Third Party Assessment Final Presentation (Redacted) (pdf)
- Workplan Memo: Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Independent Assessment (pdf)
Hawai'i Department of Health Disapproval Decision
On July 22, 2022, the Hawai'i Department of Health disapproved the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility defueling plan, citing a lack of detail. DOH set a September 7, 2022, deadline for the Navy to resubmit its detailed defueling plan.
- Hawai'i DOH Press Release on the Disapproval Decision
- DOH Defuel Plan Disapproval letter and Comments (pdf)
EPA Comments on the Defueling Plan
Listed below are comments EPA has sent to the Navy regarding defueling.
- EPA Email to Joint Task Force Red Hill: Supplement 3 of the RHBFSF Defueling Plan – No Further Comments (pdf)
- Approval of RHBFSF Defueling Preparedness Report (pdf)
- EPA and Hawaii DOH Comments on the Red Hill Groundwater Protection Plan Update (pdf)
- EPA Letter: EPA's August 25, 2023 Comments on Supplement 2 of the RHBFSF Closure Plan; Response on Foundational Concepts for Closure (pdf)
- EPA's June 16, 2023 Conditional Approval of the RHBFSF Defueling Plan and Response to Supplement 2 (pdf)
- EPA's June 28, 2023 Request for Analysis of Fuel in Tanks at Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (pdf)
- EPA's July 11, 2023 comments on Fitness-for Service Assessments of Repairs at RHBFSF (pdf)
- EPA's July 10, 2023 Conditional Approval of Surge Tank Drainage (pdf)
- EPA's April 17, 2023 Comments on Integrated Master Schedules (pdf)
- EPA’s August 11, 2022 Defueling Plan Comment Letter (REDACTED) (pdf)
EPA Fact Sheet on the Defueling Plan
EPA provides updates to defueling activities at Red Hill and EPA's role. To view the defueling plan and supplemental documents, please visit: Department of Defense Defueling Plan, Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
EPA Quality Validation Report Approvals
Listed below are letters EPA has sent to the Navy regarding Quality Validation Reports.
- EPA Conditional Approval: August (II) and select July (III) RHBFSF Repair Quality Validation Reports (pdf)
- EEPA Letter to JTF-Red Hill: Quality Validation Approvals for Repacking at Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (pdf)
- EPA Conditional Approval: June (I, II) and July (I-IV) RHBFSF Repair Quality Validation Reports; Fitness-for-Service Acceptance (pdf)
- EPA Conditional Approval: Fitness-for-Service Clarification and Approval of RHBFSF Repair/Enhancement Quality Validation Reports -June (I) Packets (pdf)
- EPA Conditional Approval: Conditional Approval of RHBFSF Repair/Enhancement Quality Validation Reports - February and March Packets (pdf)
Unpacking Fuel Lines
The Navy will drain, or “unpack,” almost three miles of fuel facility pipelines linking the Red Hill facility fuel tanks to Pearl Harbor over several days starting October 25, 2022. Fuel will only be removed from the piping; no fuel will be moved from any of the 20 underground Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Tanks. Unpacking the fuel lines is a required action before the Navy can implement repairs needed to safely defuel all fuel from the Red Hill facility.
The Navy submitted its unpacking plan to EPA and DOH within the Navy’s September 7, 2022 Defuel Plan Supplemental 1A. EPA and DOH submitted comments on the Navy’s unpacking plan to request additional information.
- EPA September 21, 2022 Comment Letter on Navy's Unpacking Plan (pdf)
- Navy Response to September 21, 2022 EPA Comment Letter (pdf)
- Hawaiʻi DOH Conditional Approval of Unpacking Plan
This DOH press release contains a link to the DOH conditional approval letter document.
In preparation for unpacking the fuel lines, the Navy conducted an oil spill response exercise on September 22, 2022. EPA, DOH, and the US Coast Guard reviewed the Navy’s Unpacking Spill Exercise Plan (PDF) and observed Navy’s performance in conducting an effective spill response exercise. EPA concluded that the Navy met all the requirements of the exercise in a timely manner and provided feedback during and after the event.