EPA Approves Joint Task Force-Red Hill Pre-Defueling Preparedness Report
HONOLULU – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Joint Task Force-Red Hill (JTF-RH) Defueling Preparedness Report outlining how safe defueling will proceed at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. JTF-RH must begin defueling operations within 15 calendar days once the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) approves moving forward with the defueling process.
"EPA’s approval of the joint task force report is a significant milestone in the process to safely defuel Red Hill,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "This decision reflects our collaborative efforts with Hawai‘i Department of Health to work with the Department of Defense on ensuring the closure of the facility and protection of the area’s drinking water. This work is critical to safeguarding public health and the environment on Oahu.”
Under the June 2023 Consent Order on Red Hill, the EPA required JTF-RH to submit the Defueling Preparedness Report prior to the start of defueling. The report certifies that:
All repairs, operational changes, and training have been completed as prescribed under the DOD’s defuel plan.
All repairs have gone through proper third-party quality assurance verification.
Navy Region Hawai‘i has updated their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan to EPA’s satisfaction.
EPA has approved JTF-RH’s updated Facility Response Plan.
Tank tightness testing of sumps within the lower access tunnel has been completed.
During defueling, EPA will be onsite and on-call for the duration of the operation to provide technical assistance and monitor for any anomalies in the defueling process.
In addition, the EPA will participate in a JTF-RH Defueling Open House to be held today from 4-6 p.m. HT at the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Memorial Hall located in Keʻehi Lagoon Memorial Park, 2685 North Nimitz Highway, in Honolulu. The open house allows JTF-RH and relevant state and federal agencies to engage with community leaders and members of the public and provide updates on the defueling status. In addition, on Wednesday, October 4, the EPA will take part in the first convening of the Community Representation Initiative focused on plans for defueling.
Following the November 2021 contamination of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s drinking water system, the Hawai‘i Department of Health issued an emergency order to the Navy that required the Navy to cease all operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and defuel and close the 20 underground storage tanks, surge tanks, and associated piping.
The Secretary of Defense ordered the closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and, subsequently, the United States Indo-Pacific Command established JTF-RH to carry out that order.
DOH then issued a superseding order on May 6, 2022. In June 2023, the EPA finalized an Administrative Consent Order with the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency that requires the safe defueling and closure of the Red Hill facility. The actions required by the consent order support DOH’s emergency order and require the Navy and DLA to minimize risks from the movement of fuel throughout the Red Hill facility during defueling and closure.
Read the EPA Letter of Approval of RHBFSF Defueling Preparedness Report.
Read the Final 2023 Consent Order and Statement of Work on EPA's website.
Read about EPA’s work at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai‘i.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
"EPA’s approval of the joint task force report is a significant milestone in the process to safely defuel Red Hill,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "This decision reflects our collaborative efforts with Hawai‘i Department of Health to work with the Department of Defense on ensuring the closure of the facility and protection of the area’s drinking water. This work is critical to safeguarding public health and the environment on Oahu.”
Under the June 2023 Consent Order on Red Hill, the EPA required JTF-RH to submit the Defueling Preparedness Report prior to the start of defueling. The report certifies that:
All repairs, operational changes, and training have been completed as prescribed under the DOD’s defuel plan.
All repairs have gone through proper third-party quality assurance verification.
Navy Region Hawai‘i has updated their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan to EPA’s satisfaction.
EPA has approved JTF-RH’s updated Facility Response Plan.
Tank tightness testing of sumps within the lower access tunnel has been completed.
During defueling, EPA will be onsite and on-call for the duration of the operation to provide technical assistance and monitor for any anomalies in the defueling process.
In addition, the EPA will participate in a JTF-RH Defueling Open House to be held today from 4-6 p.m. HT at the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Memorial Hall located in Keʻehi Lagoon Memorial Park, 2685 North Nimitz Highway, in Honolulu. The open house allows JTF-RH and relevant state and federal agencies to engage with community leaders and members of the public and provide updates on the defueling status. In addition, on Wednesday, October 4, the EPA will take part in the first convening of the Community Representation Initiative focused on plans for defueling.
Following the November 2021 contamination of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s drinking water system, the Hawai‘i Department of Health issued an emergency order to the Navy that required the Navy to cease all operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and defuel and close the 20 underground storage tanks, surge tanks, and associated piping.
The Secretary of Defense ordered the closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and, subsequently, the United States Indo-Pacific Command established JTF-RH to carry out that order.
DOH then issued a superseding order on May 6, 2022. In June 2023, the EPA finalized an Administrative Consent Order with the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency that requires the safe defueling and closure of the Red Hill facility. The actions required by the consent order support DOH’s emergency order and require the Navy and DLA to minimize risks from the movement of fuel throughout the Red Hill facility during defueling and closure.
Read the EPA Letter of Approval of RHBFSF Defueling Preparedness Report.
Read the Final 2023 Consent Order and Statement of Work on EPA's website.
Read about EPA’s work at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawai‘i.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., 2024 Sharon D. Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation Recipient
The Sharon D. Banks Award is a biennial award established in memory of Sharon D. Banks, the former General Manager of AC Transit in Oakland, California, and chaired the TRB Executive Committee in 1998. She passed away in 1999. The award recognizes innovative and successful leadership in people-oriented initiatives in transportation, sustained over an extended period, that exemplify Banks’ ideals of humanity and service. The 2024 Sharon D. Banks Award recipient is Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Chief Executive Of...
ILWU bankruptcy filing provides dramatic twist to long-running Portland dispute
The financial health of the powerful International Longshore and Warehouse Union is in jeopardy as the union seeks to avoid paying $19 million in damages to a Portland terminal operator over disruptive job actions years ago.
ILWU bankruptcy filing provides dramatic twist to long-running Portland dispute
The financial health of the powerful International Longshore and Warehouse Union is in jeopardy as the union seeks to avoid paying $19 million in damages to a Portland terminal operator over disruptive job actions years ago.
EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan for Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment Superfund Site in Genesee County, New York
NEW YORK – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its cleanup plan to address contaminated groundwater, soil, bedrock, soil vapor and surface water at the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment site located in LeRoy, New York. EPA held a public meeting on August 29, 2023, to explain the proposed plan to the community and take comments. The finalized plan, released today, addresses the remaining contamination from the historic train accident that spilled trichloroethylene (TCE) onto the ground and caused the groundwater contamination.
“We handled the most immediate threats by working with the state to remove contamination and connect people to a safe source of drinking water,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This final cleanup plan addresses the last of the contaminated legacy of this derailment and turns the page to the final chapter of our work at this site.”
The site includes the location of a former train derailment that occurred on December 6, 1970, at the Gulf Road crossing in the Town of LeRoy. Two tank cars ruptured and spilled approximately 30,000 gallons of TCE onto the ground. A third car containing a crystalline form of cyanide was also reported to have partially spilled. The cyanide was recovered shortly after the derailment, however the TCE was flushed with water, and it seeped into the ground, resulting in a 4-mile-long plume of TCE contamination. EPA placed the site on the Superfund List in 1999 and has been addressing the site in several stages, including an early removal response, as well as remedial actions known as operable units (OUs), where EPA worked with the state on a waterline and oversaw vapor mitigation work in affected homes and a soil cleanup in the spill area.
The finalized cleanup plan, called a Record of Decision, will address the groundwater, bedrock, soil, soil vapor, and surface water. For the groundwater contamination, EPA has determined that no existing treatment methods can clean up the groundwater to meet necessary standards. Therefore, EPA’s final remedy includes monitoring the groundwater and limiting the use of the groundwater to protect people’s health over the long-term.
The finalized cleanup plan also includes:
removing remaining contaminated soil and disposing of it off-site at a permitted disposal facility, followed by backfilling with clean fill.
treating (in place) of contaminated surface water with streambed cover, restrictions, and monitoring.
monitoring groundwater, surface water, soil vapor and indoor air to check the levels of contaminants.
maintaining and installing vapor mitigation systems for properties that are affected by soil vapor intrusion from the groundwater plume. These systems prevent harmful vapors from entering indoor spaces.
connecting new homes built over the groundwater plume to the public water supply system or providing point-of-entry treatment systems if connection to the municipal system is not feasible. Existing homes over the plume were connected to the public water system in 2003.
restricting the use of groundwater using controls such as easements in the spill area and informing the public via notices of the contaminated groundwater and soil vapor.
For additional background and to see the Record of Decision, visit the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment Superfund site profile page.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter now known as X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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“We handled the most immediate threats by working with the state to remove contamination and connect people to a safe source of drinking water,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This final cleanup plan addresses the last of the contaminated legacy of this derailment and turns the page to the final chapter of our work at this site.”
The site includes the location of a former train derailment that occurred on December 6, 1970, at the Gulf Road crossing in the Town of LeRoy. Two tank cars ruptured and spilled approximately 30,000 gallons of TCE onto the ground. A third car containing a crystalline form of cyanide was also reported to have partially spilled. The cyanide was recovered shortly after the derailment, however the TCE was flushed with water, and it seeped into the ground, resulting in a 4-mile-long plume of TCE contamination. EPA placed the site on the Superfund List in 1999 and has been addressing the site in several stages, including an early removal response, as well as remedial actions known as operable units (OUs), where EPA worked with the state on a waterline and oversaw vapor mitigation work in affected homes and a soil cleanup in the spill area.
The finalized cleanup plan, called a Record of Decision, will address the groundwater, bedrock, soil, soil vapor, and surface water. For the groundwater contamination, EPA has determined that no existing treatment methods can clean up the groundwater to meet necessary standards. Therefore, EPA’s final remedy includes monitoring the groundwater and limiting the use of the groundwater to protect people’s health over the long-term.
The finalized cleanup plan also includes:
removing remaining contaminated soil and disposing of it off-site at a permitted disposal facility, followed by backfilling with clean fill.
treating (in place) of contaminated surface water with streambed cover, restrictions, and monitoring.
monitoring groundwater, surface water, soil vapor and indoor air to check the levels of contaminants.
maintaining and installing vapor mitigation systems for properties that are affected by soil vapor intrusion from the groundwater plume. These systems prevent harmful vapors from entering indoor spaces.
connecting new homes built over the groundwater plume to the public water supply system or providing point-of-entry treatment systems if connection to the municipal system is not feasible. Existing homes over the plume were connected to the public water system in 2003.
restricting the use of groundwater using controls such as easements in the spill area and informing the public via notices of the contaminated groundwater and soil vapor.
For additional background and to see the Record of Decision, visit the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment Superfund site profile page.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter now known as X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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Wexford Labs in Kirkwood, Missouri, Selected for EPA 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 2, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Wexford Labs, located in Kirkwood, Missouri, has been selected for a 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award. They are one of 30 winners from across 15 states and the District of Columbia recognized for their achievements in the design, manufacture, and the selection and use of cleaners, detergents, and other products with safer chemicals.
The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find cleaning and other products containing chemical ingredients that are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Applicants for this year’s awards were encouraged to show how their work promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, improves drinking water quality, or advances innovation in packaging.
“Congratulations to Wexford Labs on once again being selected for EPA’s Safer Choice Partner Award,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “This award is one of many examples of how industry and government work together to advance environmental justice and promote a healthier, safer environment for all.”
Wexford Labs is recognized as an outstanding Design for the Environment (DfE) Formulator-Product Manufacturer. They manufacture and distribute environmentally friendly cleaners and disinfectants and have been a Safer Choice/DfE partner since 2011. Wexford Labs has three DfE-certified products, which make up 33% of their core disinfectant products and are the focus of their marketing. Wexford regularly creates marketing materials to educate consumers on the importance of the DfE and Safer Choice programs. All of Wexford Labs’ DfE-certified products display the new (2022) DfE logo on the front label.
In 2022, Wexford Labs brought on two new private-label customers for their DfE-certified products. Since 2020, they have donated citric acid-based disinfecting wipes to organizations, communities, and individuals affected by environmental disaster and poverty, contributing to EPA’s focus on environmental justice. Safer Choice commends Wexford Lab’s commitment to producing DfE-certified disinfecting products.
Learn more about the 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find cleaning and other products containing chemical ingredients that are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Applicants for this year’s awards were encouraged to show how their work promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, improves drinking water quality, or advances innovation in packaging.
“Congratulations to Wexford Labs on once again being selected for EPA’s Safer Choice Partner Award,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “This award is one of many examples of how industry and government work together to advance environmental justice and promote a healthier, safer environment for all.”
Wexford Labs is recognized as an outstanding Design for the Environment (DfE) Formulator-Product Manufacturer. They manufacture and distribute environmentally friendly cleaners and disinfectants and have been a Safer Choice/DfE partner since 2011. Wexford Labs has three DfE-certified products, which make up 33% of their core disinfectant products and are the focus of their marketing. Wexford regularly creates marketing materials to educate consumers on the importance of the DfE and Safer Choice programs. All of Wexford Labs’ DfE-certified products display the new (2022) DfE logo on the front label.
In 2022, Wexford Labs brought on two new private-label customers for their DfE-certified products. Since 2020, they have donated citric acid-based disinfecting wipes to organizations, communities, and individuals affected by environmental disaster and poverty, contributing to EPA’s focus on environmental justice. Safer Choice commends Wexford Lab’s commitment to producing DfE-certified disinfecting products.
Learn more about the 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
EPA Announces 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 30 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 15 states and the District of Columbia, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, and the selection and use of cleaners, detergents and other products with safer chemicals.
The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find cleaning and other products containing chemical ingredients that are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Applicants for this year’s awards were encouraged to show how their work promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, improves drinking water quality, or advances innovation in packaging.
“Today, we recognize outstanding Safer Choice partners and stakeholders who are working to make sure people have access to products with safer ingredients for people and the planet,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “This year’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year awardees have worked to contribute to the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), advancing environmental justice, and reducing plastic pollution.”
Many Safer Choice partners recognized today have shown leadership and innovation in safer chemistry and sustainable packaging. For example, one winner reformulated their floor finishing product to replace PFAS with a safer chemical alternative. The reformulated product carries the Safer Choice label and demonstrates that water-based floor finishes can work well without PFAS, an important innovation for the sector. Other winners are reducing plastic use and water consumption by offering their products as concentrates or tablets. These practices also lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of product that must be transported.
Additionally, many awardees worked to advance environmental justice through education on products with safer ingredients in underserved and overburdened communities. For example, one winner offered free lesson plans for teachers, including those in underserved communities, to empower teachers and students to identify cleaning products with safer ingredients. Another winner increased awareness among Spanish-speaking cleaning service providers through a virtual webinar series.
A list of the 2023 Partner of the Year award winners can be found below. Learn more about the 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments.
List of Winners
American Cleaning Institute, Washington, D.C.
Apple, Cupertino, Calif.
Blueland, New York, N.Y.
Bona US, Englewood, Colo.
Case Medical, Bloomfield, N.J.
Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Ewing, N.J.
The Clorox Company, Oakland, Calif.
ECOS, Cypress, Calif.
Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County, Wash.
Holloway House, Inc., Fortville, Ind.
The Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.
Household & Commercial Products Association, Washington, D.C.
ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, Rosemont, Ill.
JAWS International, Ltd., a Division of Canberra Corporation, Toledo, Ohio
Jelmar, LLC, Skokie, Ill.
Lemi Shine, Austin, Texas
Mighty Fire Breaker LLC, Rohnert Park, Calif.
North Central Educational Service District, Wenatchee, Wash.
Novozymes North America, Franklinton, N.C.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Portland, Oreg.
Phibro Biotechnics, a division of Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Sarasota, Fla.
Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Everett, Wash.
PurposeBuilt Brands, Gurnee, Ill.
Roger McFadden and Associates, LLC, Canby, Oreg.
Rust-Oleum Corporation, Vernon Hills, Ill.
Sensitive Home, Greenbrae, Calif.
Seventh Generation, Burlington, Vt.
Spartan Chemical Company, Maumee, Ohio
State Industrial Products, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Wexford Labs, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.
The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find cleaning and other products containing chemical ingredients that are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Applicants for this year’s awards were encouraged to show how their work promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, improves drinking water quality, or advances innovation in packaging.
“Today, we recognize outstanding Safer Choice partners and stakeholders who are working to make sure people have access to products with safer ingredients for people and the planet,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “This year’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year awardees have worked to contribute to the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), advancing environmental justice, and reducing plastic pollution.”
Many Safer Choice partners recognized today have shown leadership and innovation in safer chemistry and sustainable packaging. For example, one winner reformulated their floor finishing product to replace PFAS with a safer chemical alternative. The reformulated product carries the Safer Choice label and demonstrates that water-based floor finishes can work well without PFAS, an important innovation for the sector. Other winners are reducing plastic use and water consumption by offering their products as concentrates or tablets. These practices also lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of product that must be transported.
Additionally, many awardees worked to advance environmental justice through education on products with safer ingredients in underserved and overburdened communities. For example, one winner offered free lesson plans for teachers, including those in underserved communities, to empower teachers and students to identify cleaning products with safer ingredients. Another winner increased awareness among Spanish-speaking cleaning service providers through a virtual webinar series.
A list of the 2023 Partner of the Year award winners can be found below. Learn more about the 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments.
List of Winners
American Cleaning Institute, Washington, D.C.
Apple, Cupertino, Calif.
Blueland, New York, N.Y.
Bona US, Englewood, Colo.
Case Medical, Bloomfield, N.J.
Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Ewing, N.J.
The Clorox Company, Oakland, Calif.
ECOS, Cypress, Calif.
Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County, Wash.
Holloway House, Inc., Fortville, Ind.
The Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.
Household & Commercial Products Association, Washington, D.C.
ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, Rosemont, Ill.
JAWS International, Ltd., a Division of Canberra Corporation, Toledo, Ohio
Jelmar, LLC, Skokie, Ill.
Lemi Shine, Austin, Texas
Mighty Fire Breaker LLC, Rohnert Park, Calif.
North Central Educational Service District, Wenatchee, Wash.
Novozymes North America, Franklinton, N.C.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Portland, Oreg.
Phibro Biotechnics, a division of Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Sarasota, Fla.
Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Everett, Wash.
PurposeBuilt Brands, Gurnee, Ill.
Roger McFadden and Associates, LLC, Canby, Oreg.
Rust-Oleum Corporation, Vernon Hills, Ill.
Sensitive Home, Greenbrae, Calif.
Seventh Generation, Burlington, Vt.
Spartan Chemical Company, Maumee, Ohio
State Industrial Products, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Wexford Labs, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.
Trade News Snapshot – Volume 5, Issue 7
EAC's Message
It's been another busy month in the Office of Trade! In September, I traveled to the United Kingdom to attend the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, meet with the U.K. Border Force and His Majesty’s…
It's been another busy month in the Office of Trade! In September, I traveled to the United Kingdom to attend the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, meet with the U.K. Border Force and His Majesty’s…