Navy accuses Board of Water Supply of ‘grossly inaccurate’ statements

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Navy is accusing the Board of Water Supply of spreading “grossly inaccurate” information about the safety of the military’s water.

In a September letter obtained by Hawaii News Now, Deputy Commander of the Navy Closure Task Force Rear Admiral Marc Williams told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state health department that Pearl Harbor’s water remains safe to drink after extensive water testing.

In 2021, thousands were sickened after the Navy’s fuel spills from its Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

It accused the Board of Water Supply of “continuing misinformation” and that “many of the recent BWS statements are grossly inaccurate and are counterproductive.”

In October, U.S. EPA region 9 administrator Martha Guzman and state health director, Dr. Kenneth Fink wrote to BWS chief engineer and manager Ernie Lau.

“We are concerned that BWS letters and subsequent public presentations of incomplete or incorrect information has created significant public confusion about the overall safety of Oahu’s drinking water,” said the letter.

“I read it as a threat, and I feel like the Navy feels threatened by the amount of trust that the BWS has built with the community,” said Army Maj. Mandy Feindt, Red Hill Impacted Family member on the Red Hill Community Representation Initiative.

“The people in the community want to hear about their water and how these constituents that are still lingering the water, whether it’s lead or PFAS or petroleum products, how that is going to impact them and impact their health,” she added.

BWS told Hawaii News Now it’s working an a response to the Navy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and State Department of Health.

In August, Board of Water Supply leaders alerted the public about fuel-related contamination and other chemicals possibly spreading from the Red Hill fuel tanks and that the public’s Kaamilo well could shut down.

“We have a serious situation. We have these detections never seen before, and we need to raise the ante,” said Erwin Kawata, Board of Water Supply deputy manager has said.

“What we are concerned about from day and 10 years ago, that this could also include a movement toward the west, from Red Hill toward Aiea-Halawa,” said Ernie Lau, Board of Water Supply chief engineer and manager.

Water advocates say they are outraged by the Navy’s letter and plan to attend the Board of Water Supply’s board meeting on Monday afternoon.

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