A tunnel inside of the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii is shown in this undated file photo. (Shannon Haney/U.S. Navy)
HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) — State environmental regulators said this week that the Navy has not proved it can safely operate its underground Red Hill fuel tanks, which in recent years have been the subject of mounting concerns over leaks and groundwater contamination.
The conclusion, submitted by the Hawaii Department of Health's Environmental Health Administration as part of a contested case hearing, raises the possibility that the state might deny the Navy a five-year permit to continue operating the facility.