The state Commission on Water Resource Management is supporting the immediate suspension of operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

After a four-hour briefing followed by more than three hours of public testimony Friday, the commission decided to take a position on the matter, saying that the Navy should cease operations as directed by a state Department of Health emergency order. The emergency order has instructed the Navy to drain 20 massive, underground fuel tanks and fix the issues causing them to leak.

The fuel tanks are believed to be contaminating the Navy’s water distribution system, which supports nearly 100,000 people, but they are also threatening a major water supply for Oahu as a whole — a situation the commission wants to avoid.

Commissioner Suzanne Case said she was appreciative of the Navy focusing on flushing the water, its plan to make the water safe to use and ensuring that there is no harm to fish and birds and wetlands.

The CWRM is responsible for the protection and sustainable use of groundwater and surface water resources in the state.

It said it will use its authority and capacity to work with stakeholders to monitor, evaluate and enforce efforts to eliminate the threat the fuel tanks pose to underground aquifers.