Washington, DC —Today, the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee passed a provision introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) to be included in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. This provision requires the U.S. Navy to hold quarterly public community meetings to provide up-to-date information about the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility.

“Residents of O‘ahu who live in the shadow of the of the Red Hill Fuel Storage facility remain concerned about the potential for fuel leaks into the water aquifer sitting beneath Red Hill— which would contaminate drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. Water is life — once the source of our water is contaminated, it cannot be replaced,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard . “As the Navy works to make sure our water is protected from fuel leaks, it’s critical that they keep our community informed.”

Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has closely monitored developments at Red Hill since 2014 when 27,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked out of one of the historic underground fuel tanks. As a result, an Administrative Order of Consent (AOC) bound the U.S. Navy and its Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Hawai‘i’s Department of Health to research and propose options to either upgrade or remove the fuel tanks.

The provision included today in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will require quarterly public meetings for at least the next five years, unless the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility ceases operation.

About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii’s Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard...

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