Red Hill Revisited: Contamination Impact on Hawaii's Precious Wai with Ernie Lau

In this episode of the Exec Exchange podcast, host Piers Clark speaks with Ernie Lau, Chief Engineer and Managing Director of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in Hawaii, for an update on the US Navy’s Red Hill underground fuel storage facility and its impacts on Oahu’s sole-source aquifer. Ernie recounts major jet fuel releases in 2014 and 2021, explaining how the 2021 spill contaminated the Navy’s separate drinking water system serving nearly 100,000 people, and notes the subsequent shutdown and defueling of the facility, removing 114 million gallons of fuel. He also describes a separate 2022 spill of 1,300 gallons of PFAS-containing AFFF concentrate, ongoing PFAS detections, and estimated remediation costs approaching $2 billion, while calling for stronger regulatory pressure and greater transparency to protect Hawaii’s public trust water resources for future generations.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:44 Ernie Lau Background01:11 Red Hill Facility Overview01:56 Spills and Community Impact03:47 Defueling and Cleanup Progress04:36 Lingering Contamination Risks06:02 Costs and Treatment Plans07:07 PFAS Spill and Findings08:36 Cultural Stakes and Emotions09:52 Accountability and Transparency11:28 Advice for Future Generations12:50 Wrap Up and Closing