Service members and residents in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam have reported serious medical complications following a catastrophic jet fuel spill in 2021 that contaminated the area’s drinking water supply.
Extent of Toxic Contamination
The May 2021 mishap at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility caused 19,000 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel to be released into an underground storage area. The public was not alerted about the contaminated water supply until late 2021 when a discharge pipe containing the leaked fuel ruptured, causing thousands of gallons to enter soil and bedrock near a drinking water shaft serving the military base and surrounding community.