Navy To Begin Tank Ventilation, Air Quality Monitoring

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Glenn Slaughter | HALAWA, Hawaii (May 28, 2024) A temporary vent at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) undergoes final preparations before venting operations in Halawa, Hawaii, May 28, 2024. The vent was built to use fan power to pull fuel vapor from the fuel tanks inside the facility. After receiving approval from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill will begin tank cleaning operations by venting Tank 8 at the facility. The tank ventilation and air monitoring procedures have undergone rigorous modeling and regulatory scrutiny to ensure the safety of the surrounding community while allowing workers to safely enter and clean the interior of the tanks. Charged with the safe decommissioning of the RHBFSF, Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill was established by the Department of the Navy as a commitment to the community and the environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Glenn Slaughter)  

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

05.29.2024

Courtesy Story

Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM -- Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill (NCTF-RH) will begin tank ventilation and air quality monitoring at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) this week.

With approval from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), NCTF-RH will start tank cleaning operations by venting Tank 8 at the facility.

“NCTF-RH has worked closely with DOH to ensure ventilation of the tanks is done in a manner that will not pose a risk to human health,” said Rear Adm. Marc Williams, NCTF-RH deputy commander. “Our team is committed to safely decommissioning the facility, and tank ventilation operations gets us another step closer to this goal.”

As part of venting operations, the task force has installed nine air quality monitoring (AQM) stations at the RHBFSF perimeter, including at the Halawa Correctional Facility, to track changes in air quality, measure potential volatile organic compound (VOC) levels, and collect atmospheric data (i.e., air speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure).

During venting operations, AQM data will be updated hourly on the NCTF-RH mobile app, and daily on the NCTF-RH website.

NCTF-RH has a series of fail-safes and redundancies to mitigate risk and safeguard the public. In the event of an exceedance during operations, NCTF-RH will alert regulators, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), Honolulu Department of Emergency Management (DEM), and the public via the app, website (Www.Navyclosuretaskforce.Navy.Mil), and a press release to the media. For questions or concerns, contact the Navy Call Center at 808-210-6968.

For more information about NCTF-RH, visit www.navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil or download our free mobile app by searching for “NCTF-Red Hill” in the Apple App store or Google Play store.

• Date Taken: 05.29.2024
• Date Posted: 06.03.2024 20:00
• Story ID: 472935
• Location: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US