Red Hill Bill Needs Your Support!

Just in case you missed it, we won our lawsuit against the Hawaiʻi Department of Health. At the end of February, first circuit court Judge Crabtree ruled from the bench in favor of the Sierra Club—finding that the state’s exemption of the Red Hill fuel tanks violates state law.

This is a HUGE WIN and a giant step in the right direction. But we have lots of work left to do.

Next Step: Senate Bill 2930 SD2. This bill requires that the Red Hill tanks have secondary containment—that is, leak prevention—or the tanks be removed and the fuel relocated. The deadline for accomplishing this was blanked out in the last Senate Committee to hear the bill (that’s Sen. Baker’s Consumer Protection and Health Committee). But we are asking for 5 years.

This bill presents the best opportunity to ensure the strongest regulations of the Red Hill fuel tanks. The tanks at Red Hill will need to brought into compliance with the rules that are drafted by the Department of Health—this bill, through the legislative process, allows the opportunity for the public to help influence those rules, even before the administrative process. 

SB 2930 SD2 has a hearing in the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:30AM in Conference Room 325. If you are available, please come out and support. Your oral testimony, and even simply your presence, makes a big difference in helping legislators take a strong position in defense of our water. You may bring signs but they must be on 8.5x11" paper.