Readiness Chair Garamendi’s Statement on Closing of Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, issued the following statement after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility in Hawaii will be closed:

"This January I held a hearing in the Readiness Subcommittee to investigate the November 2021 release of 14,000 gallons of jet fuel from Red Hill into local drinking water supplies," Garamendi said. "It was estimated that 93,000 servicemembers, families, and civilians were exposed to this contaminated drinking water, many became sick, and 3,500 military families were forced from their homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"This is not an isolated incident. There is a long-documented series of issues stemming from Red Hill that necessitated the closing of the facility. While there are still outstanding questions and issues to resolve, this is undoubtedly the right decision to make for servicemembers and our national defense as we evolve our posture in the Pacific," Garamendi continued.

"As Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I will provide support and oversight of the closure process to ensure it is done to the betterment of the servicemembers, their families, and civilians throughout the area and to ensure the United States Military is fully supported as it executes its mission," Garamendi concluded.