On Monday, in Honolulu Hawaii, the World War II-era tank farm that supplies fuel to many of the US military planes and ships that operate in the region was abruptly shut down after a gas leak found in the waters in Honolulu.
The World War II-era tank farm that supplies fuel to many of the US military planes and ships that operate in the region was abruptly shut down after a gas leak found in the waters in Honolulu.
Gas Leak in Honolulu
The aquifer located above the World War II-era tank farm that supplies nearly 20% of urban Honolulu’s drinking water was unfortunately contaminated by petroleum that was found in the waters said by the Hawaii State Department of Health sample from the Red Hill fuel tank farm last week after nearly 1,000 households are complaining about their tap water smelling like gas. Meanwhile, some people are also experiencing illnesses like stomach cramps and vomiting.
Dr. Diana Felton, Hawaii’s state toxicologist, said that people who intake petroleum may experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea might as well encounter dizziness and headaches. In addition, Skin exposure can also lead to itching and rashes. However, those people who stop drinking affected water should start to feel better in a few hours.
Navy’s Announcement
Carlos Del Toro the Navy Secretary released a statement in a briefing with the reporters at Pearl Harbor after the contamination problem emerged two weeks ago saying that he was very sorry to everyone who are affected by what he pronounced the situation as a “horrible tragedy.”
Furthermore, the Navy has not said what could have caused the petroleum to contaminate the water, but the Associated Press reported that the water and gas mixture leaked from a fire suppression system drain line into the lower tunnel in the fuel tank farm.
However, at that time, the Navy had informed that there is no such fuel leaked into the environment during that incident. Both the Navy and the state Department of Health are in joint forces in investigating the situation.
