US defense chief in Hawaii amid distrust after fuel spill

Published September 30, 2022 9:02 PM

By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Hawaii this week amid lingering community frustration and distrust after jet fuel from a military storage facility last year spilled into Pearl Harbor’s drinking water. The spill poisoned thousands of military families and threatened the purity of Honolulu’s water supply. Austin traveled to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in the hills above Pearl Harbor on Friday and met the commander of the joint task force in charge of draining its tanks so it can be shut down. He also met with several families affected by the fuel spill and Hawaii officials. The meetings were closed to the media, and Austin didn’t hold a news conference afterward.

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