Tankers might hold some Red Hill fuel

It has been suggested that the Navy could use tankers as temporary storage for the contents of the Red Hill fuel tanks. Wondering just how realistic that idea was, I pulled together a few numbers and some assumptions to see.

The 20 Red Hill tanks hold 12.5 million gallons each. Assuming that two are empty for maintenance and the remaining average 80% capacity, there are about 180 million gallons to deal with.

The Navy has only four reserve fleet tankers, all located on the Gulf Coast. Their combined capacity is about 30 million gallons. So those four tankers would handle about 16-17% of needed capacity.

The Navy could likely find at least four more similar inactive tankers in the world to lease, mooring the whole fleet of eight ships in East Loch. That would comprise a third of the needed capacity. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it’s a good start.

Jim King

Waikiki

Too late to repair underground tanks

The latest insult by the Navy’s attorney is the last straw. Blaming other agencies for making a big deal and saying the Navy has done more than enough to protect Oahu’s water is too much (“Navy, state officials spar over safety of Red Hill fuel tanks,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 21).

Stop already and fix what has been a problem for decades.

Single-walled underground storage tanks were banned for new installations by the Environmental Protection Agency more than 30 years ago because they inherently leak. If the Navy wanted to continue with the Red Hill tank farm, it should have started then to replace the tanks. But it didn’t.

It’s too late now to attempt to protect our aquifer. The tanks are like a tumor that is leaking poison into our bloodstream. No amount of treating the symptoms will protect our body. It is time to remove the tumor, before it is too late.

Clyde B. Morita, P.E.

Kaneohe

Transparency needed on Navy’s cleanup plan

“I have zero confidence in anything the Navy says at this point.”

Wayne Tanaka, director of Hawaii’s Sierra Club chapter, explained the lack of candor, transparency and honesty the Navy has displayed in discussions about the water contamination problems at the Red Hill fuel storage facility (“Water system now meets guidelines, Navy says,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 17).

However, the lack of candor and transparency regarding employee and civilian safety is continuing and ongoing in the Navy.

The Hawaii community, including the four congressional delegates, must insist on transparency and honesty regarding the Navy’s efforts to deal with this problem. We must be able to learn more about the third-party contractors and laboratories that collected and tested the water samples for the Navy.

I fought for employee and community safety in Pearl Harbor for more than 45 years. I know that in the past, the people who collected and tested asbestos dust for the Navy declared that asbestos was safe.

Benjamin Toyama

Ewa Beach

Crack down on illegal merging at Piikoi Street

If we insist on extending rail to Ala Moana, the easiest way to get the money for it is to station police at the corner of Piikoi and Lunalilo streets.

As cars make the left-hand turn from Piikoi onto Lunalilo preparatory to entering the freeway, a large number get in the middle lane, then creep or barge over into the freeway entrance lane in front of drivers who had waited patiently for their turn.

This is irritating, but legal. However, in recent months drivers have been creeping or barging from the left-hand side as well, and with the solid line, that’s illegal. Station an officer there, and the funds gathered from the traffic tickets issued will pay that outstanding rail bill in no time.

Barbara Jurkens

Ala Moana

U.S. should apologize, give Afghans restitution

At home and at school, we teach our children that when they injure others, the proper course is to apologize and make restitution.

Let us set an example for other nations by admitting that the 20-year war in Afghanistan was a mistake and releasing the $9.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets.

By way of apology, we should include an extra $10 billion of credits (say, $1 billion per year for 10 years) toward humanitarian assets such as food, medical supplies and education.

We might not like the Taliban, but it is the government that Afghanistan has now, and there is no benefit in continuing to punish the Afghan people for our mistakes.

Money cannot replace the more than 70,000 civilians killed in Afghanistan any more than it can replace the 7,000 U.S. service members who died there or in Iraq, but it sends the right message.

Neil Frazer

Kailua

Use money for existing programs, not BBB

A big mahalo to U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for his opposition to the Build Back Better plan.

He saw through the thin veneer of this shibai bill that would have eventually gone from $1.8 trillion to more than $5 trillion over 10 years.

BBB would have created from scratch new programs that could weaken existing ones, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps.

If it is true that raising taxes on the wealthy would have paid for these new programs, then go ahead and tax the wealthy — but to pay for existing programs and defense.

A great president once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It’s time for a little bit more of that.

Earl Arakaki

Ewa Beach

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