The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has disapproved the Navy’s Red Hill Consolidated Groundwater Sampling Program, citing insufficient monitoring measures. Deputy Director for Environmental Health Kathleen Ho expressed disappointment in the Navy's failure to produce a plan to reduce water discharge into Hālawa Stream, stating, “It’s unacceptable that the Navy would fail to produce such a plan following multiple rounds of regulatory review.” The DOH has ordered the Navy to implement a modified version of the program with additional conditions to protect public health and the environment.
Among the additional conditions imposed by the DOH are testing for additional analytes twice a month to track contaminant attenuation, providing data to the DOH sooner than proposed, submitting weekly updates on the reduced pumping rate, and outlining steps to be taken in case of potential plume migration. These measures aim to ensure the DOH receives sufficient data to understand the impact of reduced pumping on contaminant movement in the aquifer while conserving natural resources.
The Navy was initially authorized by the DOH to discharge treated water from the Red Hill Shaft to Hālawa Stream in January 2022 to prevent contaminant migration in Oʻahu’s single source aquifer. The discharged water undergoes treatment through a granular activated carbon system, with rigorous monitoring conducted by the DOH and state partners to ensure compliance and ecosystem health.
Despite the Navy's submission of a Final Report of Findings for its Red Hill Shaft Flow Optimization Study in September 2023, indicating a need for continued monitoring of plume migration, the DOH has pressed for beneficial water reuse instead of discharge into Hālawa Stream. The DOH's focus on stringent monitoring and reporting requirements is based on the study's results and the necessity to prevent environmental contamination.
The rejection of the Navy’s sampling plan underscores the DOH’s commitment to safeguarding public health and the environment, emphasizing the importance of thorough monitoring and proactive measures in environmental management.