Three Navy rear admirals linked to the Red Hill fuel storage facility that poisoned 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into Pearl Harbor's drinking water almost two years ago have been reprimanded, the Navy announced Thursday.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro issued secretarial letters of censure to Peter Stamatopoulos, John Korka and Timothy Kott for their leadership failures, a Navy statement said. All three were listed as retired.
“What happened was not acceptable and the Department of the Navy will continue to take every action to identify and remedy this issue. Taking accountability is a step in restoring the trust in our relationship with the community,” Del Toro said in a statement.
The Navy said Stamatopoulous was the commander of Naval Supply Systems Command during the May and November 2021 leaks, Korka was the commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific before the leaks from May 2017 to September 2018, and Kott was the commander of Navy Region Hawaiʻi during the November 2021 leak. Korka went on to serve as commander of NAVFAC for three years until August 2022.
A prior Navy investigation found a cascading series of mistakes, complacency and a lack of professionalism over the course of six months led to the November 2021 fuel spill. These are the first censures related to the Red Hill fuel leaks.
The 2022 report said that operator error caused a pipe to rupture and 21,000 gallons of fuel to spill when fuel was being transferred between tanks in May 2021. The fuel spilled into a fire suppression line, sat there for six months and then spilled again when a cart rammed into it in November 2021.
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey and retired Rear Adm. Robert Chadwick received letters of instruction. VanderLey was commander of NAVFAC Pacific during the November 2021 spill and Chadwick was the commander of Navy Region Hawaiʻi during the May 2021 spill, according to the Navy.
"Del Toro revoked the personal military decorations that Stamatopoulos, Korka, Kott, VanderLey, and Chadwick received as end of tour awards for their period of service covering their culpable conduct connected to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility fuel spills and water contamination," Navy spokesperson Joe Keiley said in statement to HPR.
Non-punitive letters of censure were issued to seven unnamed Navy captains, three of whom are awaiting a decision on whether they can continue their naval service. A Navy commander and a Navy lieutenant commander were also issued letters of instruction. Those who received decorations as end of tour awards also had them revoked.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said holding the individuals accountable is important but "true accountability for this disaster requires the Navy to address the systemic command and control failures, and a lack of requisite attention to infrastructure, that caused this disaster to happen."
"I have yet to see adequate evidence that Navy leadership is treating these service-wide issues with the seriousness or urgency they demand," she added.
Wayne Tanaka, the director of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, said the disciplinary actions are "less than a slap on the wrist."
"With 100 million gallons of fuel still in the facility they and their predecessors defended for years through what we now know were lies and gaslighting, we may not have even seen the worst consequences of these officials' disregard for our ʻāina and people," Tanaka said in a statement. "Meanwhile, those responsible for this mess will be able to enjoy their retirement and pensions."
Speaking to The Conversation this week, U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Michelle Link, deputy commander of Joint Task Force-Red Hill, said any federal government shutdown will not impact the draining of the fuel tanks.
On Oct. 16, the military expects to begin removing 104 million gallons of fuel from the World War II-era facility that contaminated one of the Navy's drinking wells, forcing thousands of military residents out of their homes and into hotels to access clean drinking water.
Read the letters of censure below or click here to open a new tab.
