Office of Inspector General

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

At a Glance

23-E-0015
April 25, 2023

EPA Region 9 Must Continue Oversight Throughout the Decontamination
and Closure of the Red Hill Facility

Why We Did This Evaluation

The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Office of Inspector General
conducted this evaluation to determine,
by analyzing the sequence of events that
led to drinking water contamination at the
Red Hill site on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-
Hickam, whether the EPA's oversight of
relevant authorized state programs has
effectively addressed the potential for
contamination at the site. The facility,
which the U.S. military uses, contains
20 underground tanks that can store up
to 250 million gallons of fuel.

In November 2021, a petroleum release
at the facility contaminated drinking
water and sickened people. EPA
Region 9 authorized the Hawaii
Department of Health to implement
various environmental programs, and the
Department of Health used its authorities
under those programs to respond to the
incident. The EPA works with the
Department of Health to ensure the
programs perform consistent with federal
laws and regulations.

This evaluation supports EPA
mission-related efforts:

•	Ensuring clean and safe water.

•	Cleaning up and revitalizing land.

This evaluation addresses a top EPA
management challenge:

•	Enforcing environmental laws and
regulations.

Address inquiries to our public affairs

office at (202) 566-2391 or

OIG WEBCOMMENTS@epa.gov.

Decontamination and
closure of the Red Hill
facility requires
transparency and
accountability to
protect the Oahu
aquifer—the primary
drinking water source
on the island.

What We Found

The EPA's regulatory oversight of authorized state
programs for underground tanks or drinking water quality
would not reasonably have identified the sequence of
events that led to the drinking water contamination
incident. According to the Navy, an improperly executed
fuel transfer resulted in pipe joint ruptures and a
subsequent fuel spill. Since the EPA does not regulate
operations like this, its oversight of the underground tanks
or drinking water quality would not reasonably have
identified the events that led to the drinking water
contamination. EPA Region 9 provided oversight of authorized Hawaii state programs
prior to the incident. Additionally, Region 9 has worked with the Hawaii Department of
Health, known as the Hawaii DOH, and the Navy to respond to the incident. However,
the planned defueling—or fuel removal—process and decontamination efforts will
require significant coordination between Region 9, the Hawaii DOH, and the Navy to
minimize potential contamination and clearly communicate health and environmental
risks to the public.

As part of Region 9's continued oversight, the region will need to address staffing,
clearly communicate data, and maximize stakeholder involvement. First, Region 9 will
need a sufficient number of staff to oversee the defueling process and address long-
term remediation efforts. Second, Region 9 will need to collaborate with the Hawaii DOH
and the Navy to clearly communicate risk and remediation information. Third, Region 9
will need to work with the Hawaii DOH and the Navy to maximize stakeholder
involvement in Red Hill working groups to ensure that it hears all perspectives and
instills public confidence in the defueling process, remediation efforts, and related
outcomes.

After the defueling and closure processes are complete, consistent oversight of the
remediation efforts will be necessary. Specifically, Region 9 will need to oversee the
groundwater monitoring and contaminant migration information, as well as the
communication of related information to the public.

Recommendations and Planned Agency Corrective Actions

We recommend that the regional administrator for Region 9 develop a plan to define and
provide appropriate levels of resources and oversight during defueling and closure,
collaborate with the Hawaii DOH and the Navy to clearly communicate information to the
public, and work with the Hawaii DOH and the Navy to develop a plan to increase
stakeholder participation. Region 9 agreed with all three recommendations and provided
ten corrective actions with completion dates. The region completed two of the actions.
We consider all of the recommendations resolved with corrective actions pending.

List of OIG reports.

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