FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill's (NCTF-RH) ability to successfully execute its mission relies on a number of important partners who we continuously engage and communicate with to ensure transparency throughout the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) fuel tank closure and decommissioning process. Part of that engagement process involves responding to questions provided to the NCTF-RH from community members, stakeholders, lawmakers and the general public.
THE FIVE Ws OF THE RHBFSF DECOMMISSIONING AND CLOSURE PROCESS
WHO?
On March 14, 2024, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, following certification by INDOPACOM, the Navy, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, directed NCTF-RH to assume responsibility for the permanent closure of the facility, in accordance with state and federal regulatory requirements.
Rear Admiral Stephen J. Barnett is the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill Commander and will rely heavily on a Deputy Commander for Closure and Demolition and a Deputy Commander for Remediation and Environment. These Deputy Commanders will directly report to RADM Barnett as well as oversee the day-to-day activities of the project and will lead the on-the-ground execution of the Department of the Navy's Tank Closure Plan.
WHAT?
On March 7, 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued an order to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of the Navy (DoN) to decommission and permanently close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF). The NCTF-RH has the responsibility for the decommissioning and permanent closure of the RHBFSF. Click here to view the order.
WHEN?
NCTF-RH proposes that the fuel storage tanks at Red Hill be permanently closed, and the pipeline system completely removed by August 2027. The emptied tanks would remain in place after they are drained of fuel, according to a closure plan submitted to the Hawaii State Department of Health. The “closure in place” plan would take out of service 20 massive fuel storage tanks, four smaller underground tanks and a sprawling piping system but leave them in the ground indefinitely for possible reuse not involving fuel or other contaminants.
WHERE?
The RHBFSF is a military fuel storage facility in Hawaii operated by the United States Navy to support U.S. military operations in the Pacific. The fuel storage facility can store up to 250 million gallons of fuel and consists of 20 steel-lined underground storage tanks encased in concrete located under a volcanic mountain ridge near Honolulu. Each of the 20 tanks at Red Hill measures 100 feet in diameter and is 250 feet in height. The facility was declared a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1995.
WHY?
After a thorough review of, and, to advance the goals set forth in INDOPACOM's long-term plan for strategic fuel storage in the Pacific, the Department of Defense made the decision to decommission and permanently close the RHBFSF.
In parallel with the permanent closure of Red Hill, the DoD remains committed to mitigating the impacts of the November 2021 water quality incident. The Department will complete environmental mitigation efforts for the Red Hill drinking water well and any other impacted areas. The Department will also restore safe drinking water to all affected residents and provide best-in-class sampling and testing to ensure the continued safety of the drinking water.