Red Hill
Red Hill Fuel Pump Room
U.S. Navy photo by Daniel Mayberry
In November 2021, an underground storage tank at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Oahu, Hawaii began leaking jet fuel – specifically, jet propellent-5, or JP-5 – into the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water distribution system. On November 28, 2021, residents began reporting foul-smelling tap water, and some residents also reported symptoms ranging from vomiting and headaches to unexplained rashes. The exposure impacted an estimated 9,000 families, including members of the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Additional information about the jet fuel release at Red Hill is available on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) website here.
Red Hill Response and Outcomes
The State of Hawaii issued an advisory on November 29, 2021, urging Red Hill area residents to avoid using the water. Specific actions taken by the federal and state governments to respond to this issue include:
- The State of Hawaii, in collaboration with the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), is conducting studies to assess and analyze the full impact of the accidental release of jet fuels from Red Hill. Read more at the State of Hawaii website and the ATSDR Red Hill Response webpage.
- The Navy has complied with federal orders and is taking steps to permanently close the facility by 2027. Read more about the defueling and closure plan here.
- On February 18, 2022, President Biden signed a stopgap funding bill that included a total of $350 million for the response to water contamination at JBPHH.
- VA is working closely with its federal partners to monitor this situation and understand its impact on the Veteran community.
Red Hill and How VA Can Help
If you or someone you know is concerned about health problems potentially associated with the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility jet fuel leak, talk to your health care provider or contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator.
If you feel that your health has been impacted by your service, VA encourages you to file a claim for disability compensation. These claims are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Jet Fuels
Veterans may have been exposed to fuels used to operate military vehicles.
Some service members may have been exposed to fuels, such as diesel and JP-8, used to operate vehicles in deployment settings.
Possible health effects depend on how exposure occured (via skin, oral, or breathing), length of time exposed, and personal factors such as age, gender, genetic traits, and diet.
Common health effects include:
- irritation to unprotected skin
- eye and upper respiratory irritation
- depressive symptoms
- breathing difficulty
- headaches
- dizziness
- cognitive impairment
Scientific research on long-term effects is not conclusive. However, if an individual is exposed to large amounts of fuel for a long period of time, research shows there is a potential for health effects, such as heart problems and certian cancers.
- Fuels webpage
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/fuels/index.asp
- WRIISC - Military Vehicle Exhaust Fact Sheet
- https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/military-and-aircraft-vehicle-exhaust.pdf
- ATSDR - JP-5 and JP-8 FAQs
- https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts121.pdf
- ATSDR - JP-4 and JP-7 FAQs
- https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts76.pdf
- ATSDR - Automotive Gasoline FAQs
- https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts72.pdf
- IOM - Gulf War and Health: Fuels, Combustion Products, and Propellants (2005)
- https://www.nap.edu/read/11180/chapter/1
Get a Registry Evaluation
- Environmental Health Coordinator
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
- Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) / Operation New Dawn (OND) Team
- https://www.oefoif.va.gov/map.asp
Contact your local https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp, https://www.oefoif.va.gov/map.asp, or VA Primary Care Team about getting a registry evaluation.
WRIISC Link
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
- https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/referral/index.asp
For evaluation for difficult-to-diagnose conditions, contact your local https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/referral/index.asp.
Camp Lejeune Health Care Eligibility Law for Veterans
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/index.asp
Camp Lejeune Health Care Eligibility Law: Veterans who served on active duty or resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between Jan. 1, 1957 and Dec. 31, 1987 may be eligible for medical care for 15 health conditions:
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Renal toxicity
- Female infertility
- Scleroderma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Leukemia
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Hepatic steatosis
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral effects
For more information on policies related to Camp Lejeune, visit:
1957 1987 Cold War USA
Camp Lejeune Health Care Eligibility Law for Family Members
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/index.asp
Camp Lejeune Health Care Eligibility Law: Family members who resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between Jan. 1, 1957 and Dec. 31, 1987 may be eligible for medical care for 15 health conditions:
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Renal toxicity
- Female infertility
- Scleroderma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Leukemia
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Hepatic steatosis
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral effects
For more information on policies related to Camp Lejeune, visit:
1957 1987 Cold War USA
Camp Lejeune Presumption
VA presumes that Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members who served at Camp Lejeune for no less than 30 days from August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987 and who later developed one of the following eight diseases were exposed to contaminants in the water supply:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Parkinson's disease
1953 1987 Cold War USA
Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry
- https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/
- http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/action-plan.asp
Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry: VA's Office of Public Health has established a registry for individuals concerned about exposure to airborne hazards during recent deployments. To be eligible, you must be a Veteran or Servicemember who deployed to contingency operations in Southwest Asia at any time on or after August 2, 1990 (as defined in 38 CFR 3.317(e)(2)), or Afghanistan or Djibouti on or after September 11, 2001. These regions include the following countries, bodies of water, and the airspace above these locations:
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain
- Djibouti
- Gulf of Aden
- Gulf of Oman
- Oman
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Waters of the Persian Gulf, Arzabian Sea, and Red Sea
The registry consists of a web-based self-assessment to be completed by the eligible individual, which can be found at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/action-plan.asp. Participants may also schedule an optional in-person clinical evaluation by a VA provider. Active Duty Servicemembers who would like a similar voluntary medical evaluation may contact your local military hospital or clinic and state that you would like an appointment specifically to address health concerns related to the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry exposures. Please note a medical evaluation is NOT required to be in the registry.
- For more information, visit: https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/
1990 2100 Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Southwest Asia, South-Central Asia, Africa
