Photo By Sgt. Kyler Chatman | Joint Task Force-Red Hill (JTF-RH) Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michelle...... read more read more
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HONOLULU – Joint Task Force - Red Hill (JTF-Red Hill) announced today it will develop an Environmental Assessment (EA) in consultation with stakeholders and regulators, and in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
“We are utilizing the NEPA process to help us make more informed decisions as we carry out our mission to safely and expeditiously remove and redistribute the fuel from the Red Hill facility. We respect the land and people of Hawaii and will thoroughly consider all potential environmental impacts prior to deciding the pace of defueling and the relocation of the Red Hill fuel,” said Vice Adm. John F. Wade, commander, JTF-Red Hill. “By understanding the possible environmental effects of our proposed actions, we will be able to use best practices and minimize impacts, ensuring we are good stewards of the environment. We will also ensure that the public is informed about any environmental effects considered in the decision-making process. This is the right thing to do.”
NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the potential environmental effects of proposed major federal actions and importantly, to include community input in the decision-making process.
This action is necessary in order to comply with the 2022 Secretary of Defense order to defuel and close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) and to make good on our promise of transparency with the public. JTF-Red Hill is responsible for defueling 104 million gallons of fuel currently in storage and planning for its relocation. The NEPA process is not expected to impact the defueling timeline.
The EA will analyze the potential environmental impacts of various options for relocation of Red Hill fuel by tanker ship. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) owns all fuel currently stored at Red Hill and is responsible for its distribution to meet DoD requirements and future needs. Thus, DLA will be a Co-Action Proponent for this proposed action with JTF-Red Hill.
Once the draft EA is completed, JTF-Red Hill will post the document online to initiate a public comment period. During this period, JTF-Red Hill will hold a meeting to inform the public, answer questions, and receive official comments about the proposed action from interested parties. All substantive public comments will be fully considered by JTF-Red Hill prior to making a decision on the proposed action.
Key dates:
March 20 Official start of EA (EA kick off)
June 9 Public comment period on the draft EA begins
June 15 NEPA public meeting
June 30 EA public comment period ends
August 31 Final EA and public notification of the decision
JTF-Red Hill is committed to working with all federal, state and local government agencies to ensure Red Hill is defueled safely and in compliance with all applicable laws, policies and regulations.
For more information about NEPA please visit: https://www.epa.gov/nepa/what-national-environmental-policy-act. For more information about JTF-RH, please visit https://www.pacom.mil/JTF-Red-Hill/
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2023 21:41 |
| Story ID: | 440408 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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