The Navy’s proposal to use the Red Hill bulk fuel facility for other uses should be denied (“Navy wants to find alternative uses for Red Hill as part of its closure plan,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 2).
The Navy is responsible for cleaning up Red Hill once it shuts down completely. If the facility stays in the hands of the Navy, there will be no guarantee that it will actually clean up the mess it created.
Instead, the Navy could avoid being held accountable for the cleanup, because it would continue to be a military installation where the state of Hawaii, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health have somewhat limited access and lack of oversight.
Let’s not forget, the only reason the facility is shutting down is because people got sick. If that had not happened, the Navy would have continued to use 80-year-old infrastructure with no regard for the environment or the residents of Honolulu.
The full extent of the damage it caused is not known.
The Navy abused the trust of Hawaii residents through its irresponsibility and should bear the consequences.
Angelika Burgermeister
Haleiwa
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