"HONOLULU — A community-led group formed to provide public oversight of the Navy’s Red Hill fuel facility will be shut down after the committee refused to cede control of the meetings to the military.

The Red Hill Community Representation Initiative, or CRI, was formed last year by an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency. The aim was to give residents an open line of communication with the military after fuel from Red Hill tainted Pearl Harbor’s drinking water in 2021, sickening thousands of people.

But relations have devolved, with the military wanting to take charge of the meetings and community members declining to let them. On Wednesday, the EPA told CRI members it will be eliminating the forum altogether by signing a new agreement with the military that doesn’t include them."

Christina Jedra reports for the Honolulu Civil Beat via AP June 13, 2024. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Hawaii Congressional Leaders Deny Supporting Shutdown Of Red Hill Oversight Panel" (Honolulu Civil Beat) [3]