DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
This is a picture of an underground gas storage tank dug into Red Hill to store gas for the military in case of war. The green color is from the florescent lights that illuminate the bottom of the silo. The top structure going down is an elevator shaft.
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The fuel storage tanks in Red Hill above our drinking water aquifer is a huge environmental threat. The Navy must quit dragging its feet in resolving the corrosion problems of its tanks.
Metal corrosion in Hawaii is severe because of the brackish salinity and warm soil temper- atures.
The Navy’s ongoing studies suggesting “patching” corrosion areas and double-wall protection are merely kicking the barrel down the road.
Oil contaminating our drinking water is imminent. These tanks should never have been built above our drinking water wells.
The best-case scenario is to relocate these tanks, which may be cost-prohibitive, but what would be the cost of supplying drinking water to residents and businesses from Moanalua to Hawaii Kai?
The Environmental Protection Agency, state Health Department and our Washington, D.C., politicians need to urge the Navy to expedite studying the problem, because corrosion continues 24/7.
Hal Omori
Mililani
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