Letter to Hon. David Y. Ige, Hawaii Governor - Request Emergency Declaration, EPA Intervention In Water Contamination Crisis

Letter

Dear Governor Ige:

We write regarding the contamination of drinking water impacting the communities of Joint
Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Aliamanu Military Reservation, and Red Hill and urge you to
immediately request that President Biden declare an emergency and to direct the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and all other appropriate federal agencies to respond to this crisis.

Including the EPA's direct intervention in your request is essential. While the source of the
contamination affecting the drinking water is still unknown, it is important that the public have
confidence in the process that the Navy and Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) are using to
draw samples from the Navy's water system to ensure the results show the true extent of the
problem that threatens the health and safety of the people of Hawaii. The EPA has the expertise
to validate the techniques and procedures that the Navy and DOH are using to draw their
samples, and it can direct them to take corrective actions where appropriate. It can also draw its
own samples to compare against as we work to identify, isolate, and fix the source of the
contamination affecting the drinking water.

We are also troubled that the Navy has said that it does not have a "realistic timeline" for
restoring safe drinking water, leaving impacted families in limbo as they continue to struggle
with daily activities--such as cooking, bathing their children, and doing laundry. Given the
indeterminate duration that this crisis could persist, the State of Hawaii must continue to assess
additional potential areas for federal agency intervention as they are warranted.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this as we work together to address this ongoing crisis