Environmental Protection Agency

The Hawaiʻi cut is part of over $50 billion in water investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

At a recent meeting between a Red Hill community group and military officials, a number of military wives shared their frustration about continuing to report intermittent sheens and chemical odors in housing on the Navy's water system. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz spoke to one woman who hoped for more proactive water testing.

The newly stood-up Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill appears to be off to a rough start. A community group maintains the Navy is trying to strong-arm a process agreed to under a work order issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Navy said it would look to meetings in February and March, indicating it wants to restructure the gatherings to make them more productive.

It’s been almost two weeks since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pressed the Navy to determine the source of low levels of petroleum hydrocarbons found in water at a handful of military homes. Amy Miller is the head of the EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division for Region 9 out of San Francisco. She said the source of the contaminants is still unclear.

Health officials said that wildfire ash collected in November contained arsenic at more than 12 times the action level. Elevated levels of antimony, cobalt, copper and lead were also detected. Meanwhile, air quality monitoring continues to show "good" air quality, meaning contaminated ash has not become airborne. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

The number two administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Janet McCabe, was expected back in Washington, D.C., on Monday after a quick visit to the islands this weekend.

Maui County has approved the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of a soil sealant in Lāhainā, despite some residents' concerns. But as HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports, officials are more concerned about what happens if toxic ash isn't sealed down.

The hazardous materials including oil, solvent and batteries are being shipped to the West Coast while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with local officials to develop a plan to dispose of an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 tons of debris on the island.

Tom Dunkelman, the EPA's incident commander, said they have surveyed some 300 properties so far and interestingly what has emerged as different than any previous disaster site is dealing with lithium batteries and electric charging stations.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency, will be hosting a town hall Thursday from 5–7 p.m. at Aliamanu Elementary school.