Contractor error spills fire foam suppressant.
A spill of 1,300 gallons of toxic fire suppressant occurred at Hawaii’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage site, near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. A military investigator discovered that a maintenance contractor incorrectly “installed an air vacuum valve on a system that carries Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF),” a “forever chemical” used to quell flammable-liquid fires. It was noted that the same contractor was also unsuccessful in disabling the AFFF pumps from automatically starting before the fires suppression system testing began last November, discharging toxic chemicals.
“I ordered this investigation to determine what caused the accidental release of AFFF concentrate and to reduce the risk of a future mishap,“ said Vice Admiral John Wade, leader of Joint Task Force-Red Hill. “A focused investigation allowed us to effectively determine how and why the release occurred… and to immediately implement risk reduction measures across the entire facility… The safe and expeditious defueling of Red Hill res our top priority to protect the people and environment of Hawaii.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Vice Admiral Wade as he commands the Joint Task Force.
- For Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam officials as they work to shut down the fuel storage site.
- For military personnel and civilians impacted by the chemical spill.
Sources: Military Times, Yahoo News
