U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) has released a statement on the U.S. Senate passage of the continuing resolution legislation to keep the government funded, which includes $350 million to address the Red Hill crisis.
The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility is a military facility in Honolulu, which is operated by the U.S. Navy to support military operations in the Pacific. It has been discovered that the Red Hill facility is contaminating the drinking water nearby, which has in turn has caused the displacement of 4,000 families, according to Hirono's website.
"The Department of Defense must fully comply with the State of Hawaii’s Executive Order to defuel the tanks at Red Hill. I’m pleased we were able to secure $100 million to help ensure that happens," Hirono tweeted on Feb. 22.
The measure will fund $250 million for the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force to pay for expenses linked to the consumption of water contamination, along with $100 million for the Department of Defense to conform with the state’s “emergency order to defuel the Red Hill tanks.”
“The health and safety of Oahu residents is my top priority, and nothing is more important than protecting access to clean drinking water,” Hirono said on her website. “I’m pleased we were also able to secure funding for costs incurred to cover emergencies and extraordinary expenses for families and businesses who have been impacted. The Navy must do everything possible to support families and businesses while they work to defuel the tanks and resolve this crisis as quickly as possible.”