State Department of Health officials have given the Navy conditional approval to remove approximately 1 million gallons of fuel later this month from its three main pipelines at Red Hill — a necessary step before the Navy can repair its distribution system and drain another 104 million gallons of fuel from its massive underground storage tanks in 2024.

The fuel has sat in the pipelines since operations at the facility were halted in 2021 after fuel from Red Hill contaminated the Navy’s drinking water system and sickened military families. The Pentagon subsequently ordered Red Hill to be permanently closed.

DOH’s Deputy Director of Environmental Health Kathleen Ho said the facility needs to be shut down as quickly as possible and that this is a critical step.

“Every moment that the fuel remains in the pipelines and the tanks could lead to a catastrophic release, which would forever impact the citizens of Hawaii,” she said. “In that respect, we will continue to ask for and work toward a safe defueling of the tanks and pipelines.”

DOH said it carefully reviewed the Navy’s pipeline defueling plan, observed spill response drills and required that the Navy implement additional environmental safeguards before signing off on the pipeline plan.

Other requirements were laid out in an Oct. 4 letter sent to Rear Adm. John Wade, commander of the Red Hill joint task force, which specify the conditions of approval. For example, the Navy must host a site visit prior to defueling so that DOH can inspect repairs and systems that have been installed to recover fuel in the event of a spill. The Navy must also complete personnel training and provide documentation that it adequately sealed drains to prevent fuel from entering the ground in the event of a leak.

Removing the fuel from the main pipelines is expected to be completed in a matter of hours, according to a Navy report released in September.

Ho said state health officials will be on the scene at Red Hill part of the time to observe the work.

Draining the three main fuel lines will allow the Navy to embark on extensive repairs of its distribution system that were identified this year in preparation for closing Red Hill.

A consultant’s report released in May found that the facility needs to undergo critical pipe repairs to ensure there are no further leaks that contaminate the environment and to ensure worker safety. A subsequent assessment from the Department of Defense, released in September, identified another 153 repairs that need to be made to the pipelines.

Despite the needed pipeline repairs, the Pentagon has said that draining the pipelines is low-risk because it doesn’t involve external pressure in the lines or fuel movement from the tanks.

The Navy still needs DOH approval of its overall repair and tank defueling plans. The Navy has estimated that it will take about five months to drain the tanks. That work is expected to begin in early 2024.

Members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation applauded DOH’s approval of the pipeline plan.

“This is a positive step toward defueling and shutting down Red Hill,” said U.S. Sen Brian Schatz in a statement. “DoD must continue to work with state officials and community leaders as quickly as possible. There’s no turning back, and there’s no time to waste.”

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said that “transparency and collaboration have been essential in this process so far, and will continue to be as we work together to quickly and safely defuel and close Red Hill.”