Of all the dirty industries out there, few, if any, are dirtier than the U.S. military. Former military bases are some of the most contaminated sites in America. A buddy of mine who served in Afghanistan says that he and his comrades dumped so much toxic military waste into underground aquifers that groundwater supplies will be too contaminated to safety drink for many decades to come. No wonder their not such big fans of ours over there.

Residents in Hawaii are learning the disadvantages of having the military as a neighbor, after the Navy contaminated groundwater supplies for communities in Oahu. What followed is not only a lesson in the hazards of everyday chemicals, but also an example of the ripple effects that occur whenever groundwater is contaminated.

It started when jet fuel somehow ended up in Red Hill drinking water. The Navy has given conflicting stories of how it ended up there, saying a spill from one of their tanks may have released as much as 19,000 gallons of jet fuel into a fire suppression pipeline which then burst and leaked into water supplies when a worker crashed into it. However, at the time they claimed all but 38 gallons had been recovered. The Navy’s underground fuel tanks also sit just 100 feet above the aquifer that supplies drinking water to most of Oahu. So there’s concern the tanks could be leaking.

A report was commissioned to investigate, and the Navy initially promised full transparency. Now they’re saying the full report will not be released, only a redacted version of it. Which is usually a pretty good indication that the situation is even worse than what the public knows, and is probably indicative of a chronic problem rather than an isolated accident.

Once the problem was discovered, a number of residents had to be relocated from their homes to hotels in Waikiki. I know what you’re thinking…we all should be so unlucky as to have to spend time at a hotel in Waikiki. But this disruption has impacted the lives of students, many of whom now face lengthy commutes to and from school. One student came to class hungry because his family had to leave so early to commute there wasn’t time for breakfast. Kids are coming to class in their pajamas or wearing the same clothes because they don’t have access to washing machines. “We’re having [student] meltdowns, student behavior–it’s just a lot of stress for families,” says Michele Sasaki, a kindergarten teacher at Hickam Elementary School.

It’s impacted schools as well, who can no longer use their tap water. This is not only an inconvenience, but forces them to spend school funds on bottled water, taking away money from their educational fund that had been slated for new computers and other much-needed classroom supplies. The school is forced into serving pizza and chicken nuggets every day, since the cafeteria is out of service.

It’s easy to take things like tap water for granted, and even easier to get complacent about the toxic chemicals that are used in everyday products all around us. But when these two things combine, it creates serious problems for all involved. Hopefully the Navy can get the mess cleaned up soon, and it would be nice if they could reimburse schools for the extra money they’re spending. Take it out of the billions of dollars in wasted funds the military receives for pointless projects, like billion-dollar fighter jets they didn’t ask for and say they don’t need.

To learn more about the chemicals and toxins all around you, and how they’re impacting your family’s health, get our book Toxic Childhood.

1. Esme M. Infante, “Water crisis taking toll on students, teachers say,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Jan. 25, 2022, A6