The scandal involving the US military is getting bigger and bigger. The US Navy | pollution | scandal
According to the website of the Star Spangled Banner on June 20th, the fuel pollution scandal of the US Navy in Hawaii continues to ferment. According to reports, another 1000 family members of US military personnel and civilians sued the federal government on the 20th, citing that they fell ill after drinking water contaminated with aviation fuel near the US Navy's Red Mountain storage facility in Hawaii. Hundreds of people have filed lawsuits over water pollution issues before.
In 2022, Hawaiian residents called for the closure of the US Navy's Red Mountain fuel storage facility.
The Red Mountain bulk fuel storage facility located on Oahu Island, about 5 miles northwest of Honolulu, by the United States Navy, was closed a year ago due to a leak that resulted in the discovery of aviation fuel in nearby wells that supplied water to tens of thousands of military communities in the area, such as the Pearl Harbor Hickam Joint Base. Lawyers say that according to the Federal Tort Claims Act, these new lawsuits are currently in the administrative litigation stage, which means the government can still reach a settlement with the plaintiff.
Several lawyers representing this lawsuit issued a joint statement, saying, "Due to the US Navy's alleged unwillingness or failure to provide sustained medical care, as well as its refusal to disclose certain information, affected military and civilian families are increasingly being subjected to terrifying health risks."
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According to lawsuits filed against the US government, in 2021, aviation fuel from the Hongshan storage facility leaked into the water supply system at least twice. People who drank contaminated water experienced seizures, gastrointestinal diseases, neurological problems, rashes, skin damage, thyroid abnormalities, migraines, and neurobehavioral disorders.
The US government stated in a court document in May this year that it does not deny any "breach of duty of care" at the Hongshan fuel storage facility and acknowledges that people have "suffered damages that can be compensated under the Federal Tort Claims Act.".
The Pentagon and the Navy have not publicly responded to these complaints. But the navy has promised that the Hongshan facilities will no longer cause pollution to the community's water supply. Officials say that the Navy is dismantling fuel storage facilities, which may take about three years and cost $120 million to complete.