U.S. public health officials have started investigating how civilians were affected by a petroleum leak into Pearl Harbor's tap water from a Navy fuel storage facility.
Officials will survey civilians living in residences that receive water from the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam water distribution system, the Hawaii State Department of Health said. The department will also attempt to reach out to people who could have been exposed to contaminated water while at work or school.
The department requested both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to conduct a study on the incident.
The state toxicologist, Dr. Diana Felton, said it's important that authorities trace how the incident impacted Hawaii residents.
Beginning in late November, around 1,000 people complained that their tap water smelled like fuel or reported physical issues, such as nausea and rashes after drinking it.
Shortly after, the Navy said it found petroleum in a drinking well that is a part of its water system, which serves approximately 93,000 people in homes, offices, elementary schools, and businesses within and surrounding Pearl Harbor. Navy Officials believe the well was polluted by leaks from its Red Hill tank farm close to Pearl Harbor.
Meanwhile, Hawaii's congressional delegation urged the Navy to comply with a Monday order from the Hawaii Department of Health to drain fuel from the tanks to protect Oahu's drinking water.
"Defueling safely will require a coordinated effort, and the delegation will do everything possible to support this effort," they said in a statement. "Clean drinking water is essential to our health and safety, and our future — we all agree this cannot be compromised for anything."
The delegation consists of four members, all Democrats: U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Kaiali'i Kahele.
So far only the Navy's water system has been affected by the contamination. But Honolulu's water utility draws from the same aquifer as the Navy, and Hawaii officials are concerned leaks will contaminate its water too.
The Red Hill facility holds 20 giant underground tanks built into the side of a mountain during World War II. Each tank is roughly the height of a 25-story building. Collectively, they can hold up to 250 million gallons (946 million liters) of fuel, though two of the tanks are now empty.
The tank farm sits just 100 feet (30 meters) above the aquifer shared by the Navy and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. It supplies petroleum to all branches of the military.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
