Congressional committee advances 2 bills to provide another $1.1B for Red Hill crisis

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A congressional committee has advanced two bills to provide an additional $1.1 billion in response to the Red Hill water crisis, U.S. Rep. Ed Case announced Wednesday.

The Department of Defense Appropriations bill includes $1 billion to be used toward the state Department of Health’s order to defuel the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility and infrastructure improvements.

DOH ordered the Navy to have a schedule to drain all 20 underground tanks no later than June 30. The Navy must have a clear plan to dismantle the tanks by November.

The second bill —The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations — includes $100 million for planning and design of water treatment and construction of distribution facilities.

The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations is advancing these two bills for fiscal year 2023, which commences in October.

“As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations and of our Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, I am fully committed to ensuring the funding for our federal government to implement its commitment to fully remediate the consequences of the Red Hill fuel leakage, and defuel and close the facility as safely and quickly as possible,” Case said, in a statement.

“I am also focused on fully funding our continued reserve fuel requirements in the Indo-Pacific through alternatives to Red Hill.”

The full House is expected to vote on the bills in July.

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