- The U.S. Navy confirmed Thursday that one of its massive underground tanks near Pearl Harbor has a leak and may have spilled up to 20,000 gallons of aviation fuel, raising concerns about potential drinking water contamination.
The Navy began investigating the possibility of a leak at the historic Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility on Monday after officials noticed a discrepancy in the tank's fuel levels and later discovered a 3 foot wide wet spot on a nearby concrete wall. Tests confirmed that the fuel soaking the wall matched that in the tank.
20,000 gallons seems like a lot, the article mentions the effects of the civilian water supply but what about the marine life? I wonder how something like this effects that? It could be that 20,000 gallons really isn't enough to effect that, I'm not sure. I do know that Pearl Harbor is a sacred place in American History, I have been there and even my self-centered teenage self realized the gravity of the place. Also, a three foot wide hole in a fuel tank seems like the sort of thing that would be easily noticed. Right?