Senator Hirono Statement on Department of Defense's Decision to Close Red Hill

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), released the following statement on the Department of Defense's decision to close the Red Hill Fuel Facility located on Oahu, Hawaii:

"I strongly support the Department of Defense's decision to close the Red Hill facility, which I have been urging them to do for weeks. I have said from day one that ensuring the health and safety of the residents of Oahu is my top priority and I share the community's big sigh of relief with this news. For weeks, I have taken every opportunity to call on the Department of Defense to shut down Red Hill. I would like to commend leadership at the Department of Defense--especially Deputy Secretary Hicks, with whom I have been in weekly contact over the last few months--for reaching the conclusion that shutting down this facility is the right thing to do for the people of Hawaii and for our environment. The military plays a vital role in Hawaii and it is important we work together going forward.

"There is a lot of work to do, including defueling the tanks safely and the long term cleanup efforts that will be required to close down the facility. I will continue to work very closely with the DoD, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Hawaii to make sure this happens.

"Additionally, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will work closely with DoD to ensure the Department has the resources to develop and implement a long-term plan to ensure we are able to meet the strategic fuel reserve needs of the Indo-Pacific Region and protect national security as the nation shifts to a more distributed force posture in the Pacific."

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