HONOLULU (AP) — Navy officials “lacked sufficient understanding” of the risks of maintaining massive fuel storage tanks on top of a drinking water well at Pearl Harbor where spilled jet fuel poisoned more than 6,000 people in 2021, a U.S. military watchdog said Thursday.
That lack of awareness came even though officials had engineering drawings and environmental studies that described the risks, the U.S. Department of Defense’s inspector general said.
The finding was among a long list of Navy failures identified by the inspector general in two reports that follow a yearslong investigation into the fuel leak at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Investigators said it was imperative for the Navy to address its management of fuel and water systems at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and recommended that the military assess leak detection systems at other Navy fuel facilities.
"The DoD must take this action, and others, to ensure that tragedies like the one in November of 2021 are not allowed to repeat,” Inspector General Robert P. Storch said in a statement.
The military built the Red Hill fuel tanks into the side of a mountain in the early 1940s to protect them from aerial attack. There were 20 tanks in all, each about the height of a 25-story building with the capacity to hold 12.5 million gallons (47.3 million liters.) The site was in the hills above Pearl Harbor and on top of an aquifer equipped with wells that provided drinking water to the Navy and to Honolulu's municipal water system.
Fuel leaks at Red Hill had occurred before, including in 2014, prompting the Sierra Club of Hawaii and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to ask the military to move the tanks to a place where they wouldn't threaten Oahu's water. But the Navy refused, saying the island's water was safe.
The 2021 spill gushed from a ruptured pipe in May of that year. Most of it flowed into a fire suppression drain system, where it sat unnoticed for six months until a cart rammed a sagging line holding the liquid. Crews believed they mopped up most of this fuel but they failed to get about 5,000 gallons (19,000 liters.) Around Thanksgiving, the fuel flowed into a drain and drinking water well that supplied water to 90,000 people at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
The inspector general's report noted 4,000 families had to move out of their homes for months because they couldn't drink or bathe in their water. The military spent more than $220 million housing residents in hotels and responding to the spill. Congress appropriated $2.1 billion more, some of which is helping the Navy close the Red Hill facility in compliance with an order from Hawaii regulators.
Among the inspector general's other findings:
Hawaii's congressional delegation, which called for the investigation in 2021, issued a joint statement saying the reports made clear the Navy and the military failed to manage fuel and water operations at Red Hill and Pearl Harbor to a standard that protects the health and safety of the people of Hawaii.
“It's outrageous and unacceptable,” said the statement from U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, all Democrats.
They called on the Navy to take “full responsibility” for its failures and immediately implement the inspector general's recommendations.
A Navy spokesperson said in a statement that the inspector general's findings align with previous evaluations and support corrective actions the Navy is implementing.
“We are committed to constant improvement to ensure the highest standards of operation, maintenance, safety, and oversight at all of our facilities at all times,” the statement said.
FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Rear Adm. John Korka, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), and Chief of Civil Engineers, leads Navy and civilian water quality recovery experts through the tunnels of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 23, 2021. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Luke McCall/U.S. Navy via AP, File)
FILE - Protestors upset with the Department of Defense's response to the leak of jet fuel into the water supply hold signs outside the gate at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)
In a night stacked with performances, a tribute to salsa stood out: Marc Anthony and La India powerfully dueted “Vivir Lo Nuestro," a vivacious set jumpstarted by “De Mí Enamórate,”as performed by Tito Nieves and Christian Alicea. Make no mistake: the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards brought the fun on its 25th anniversary, and from the very beginning.
Like with “Si Si Si”! It's the song that Carlos Vives opened the night with in his medley, and a perfect distillation of the spirit of the night. There's a lot to say “yes” to — especially when he was joined by fellow Colombian musicians Juanes, Sebastián Yatra and Camilo.
He was honored as the Latin Grammys Person of the Year at a ceremony the night before, and given his award on stage Thursday night by Jon Bon Jovi. Past winners include Juanes, Laura Pausini, Marco Antonio Solís, Rubén Blades and more.
The first award of the night was given out shortly thereafter: best contemporary Música Mexicana album to Carín León for his “Boca Chueca, Vol. 1.” Then Joe Jonas and Ela Tauber teamed up for a bilingual take on her viral hit, “¿Cómo Pasó?”
Performances hit hard and fast from there: Kali Uchis, Elena Rose, Myke Towers with “La Falda” into “Lala” and Juan Luis Guerra’s brought his modern merengue “Mambo 23,” the song would earn him record of the year later in the night. Danny Ocean’s “Amor” bled into Álvaro Díaz’s emo-trap rock “Quién te quiere como el nene.”
Anitta brought bossa nova to the award showing, paying tribute to the late great Sergio Mendes, her fellow Brazilian.
Traditional pop vocal album went to Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García for her album, “García.” And Draco Rosa won pop/rock album for his 2024 record, “Reflejos de Lo Eterno.”
Karol G won música urbana album “Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season).” Pop vocal album went to Luis Fonsi for “El Viaje.”
It's a big year: the three-hour award show is celebrating its 25th anniversary, held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, in a time when Latin music genres have never been bigger globally. It is airing live on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX.
Most of the awards at the Latin Grammys are presented a few hours before, at the Latin Grammy Premiere. There, Édgar Barrera — the producer and songwriter known for his work with such artists as Madonna, Karol G, Peso Pluma, Shakira, Grupo Frontera and beyond — who led the nominations for a second year in a row, picked up three trophies. Nathy Peluso did the same.
Barrera was up for nine awards; last year he received 13 nominations and won three. This year, he took home songwriter of the year, producer of the year and best regional Mexican song — alongside Keytin — for cowriting Grupo Frontera and Grupo Firme’s “El Amor de Su Vida.”
Joe Jonas and Eva Taubert perform during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
DJ Khaled and Nicole Tuck arrive at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Bekky G arrives at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Anitta arrives at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Eladio performs during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Make Towers performs during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Nata Montana accept the award for the best contemporary Mexican music album during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Quevedo performs during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia speak during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Vives arrives at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Carlos Vives performs during the 25th Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Christian Nodal, Angela Aguilar, Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira arrive at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Carin Leon arrives at the Latin Grammys Person of the Year award ceremony, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Vives, the Latin Grammys Person of the Year, poses with CEO Manuel Abud, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
FILE - Producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera arrives at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Mandalay Bay Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nov. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
FILE - Carlos Vives poses in the press room with his Latin Grammy gramophone-shaped trophies awarded for best pop/rock and best contemporary tropical album, at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nov. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
FILE - Karol G poses with her Latin Grammy gramophone-shaped trophies for best urban album; album of the year; and best urban fusion/performance, during the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, in Seville, Spain, Nov. 16, 2023. (Photo by Jose Breton/Invision/AP File)
FILE - Shakira performs during the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, in Seville, Spain, Nov. 16, 2023. (Photo by Jose Breton/Invision/AP File)
