Why would regulators allow a drinking water well to operate or reopen within a mile of the Red Hill Release?

From a scientific standpoint, the migration of petroleum contamination in groundwater has been studied extensively across the nation. It is well documented that petroleum plumes do not typically travel far from where they enter the environment. At Red Hill, routine samples are collected from approximately 47 wells to monitor the extent of petroleum contamination in groundwater. In alignment with previous studies, petroleum contamination in groundwater at Red Hill rapidly diminishes with distance from its source and appears to remain both stable and far from the Navy Aiea Halawa Shaft. Eleven of the 47 wells function as sentinel wells, providing early warning of contaminant migration from Red Hill to Navy Aiea Halwa Shaft (NAHS) and Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) Halawa Shaft. Of these, four monitoring wells are located along potential groundwater flow paths between the Red Hill fuel storage area and NAHS, and seven wells are located along the northwest boundary of Red Hill, between the former fuel storage area and BWS Halawa Shaft. Although not anticipated as necessary, the proposed treatment system for NAHS will utilize proven technology which is robust and designed to remove petroleum contamination, as well as other contaminants such as per – and polyfluoroalkyl substances, prior to distribution.