Local Campaign for Community Representation in Red Hill Region
The Red Hill Community Representation Initiative (CRI), a collaborative effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Navy, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the Hawaiian community, held its quarterly meeting on July 31, 2025.
The meeting, which was attended by elected members of the Red Hill CRI, representatives from the U.S. EPA, U.S. Navy, and DLA, and several impacted residents, aimed to discuss matters related to defueling, closure, and drinking water safety at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
The agenda for the meeting, as well as other relevant documents such as the EPA, US Navy, and DLA Joint Statement on Modifications to the 2023 Red Hill Administrative Consent Order, and the Initial Red Hill Community Engagement Plan, are available on the initiative's website.
The CRI was formed in response to concerns about the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, following a scoping meeting held by the EPA, in collaboration with the Navy, DLA, and members of the public, on July 27, 2023. The CRI gives ten members of the Hawaiian community an opportunity to work directly with Navy, DLA, and EPA representatives on these important issues.
The members of the Red Hill CRI were elected by community participants into four categories: Native Hawaiian interests, environmental concerns, impacted residents, and the general public. Notable attendees at the July 31 meeting included Mandy Feindt and Tara Sutton, impacted residents, and Healani Sonoda-Pale and Mai Hall, who represent Native Hawaiian interests. Other attendees included Ilima DeCosta, Mialisa Otis, Michelle Poppler, Marti Townsend, and Melodie Aduja, who represents the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i.
The CRI Selection Meeting was hosted by EPA and Navy on September 16, 2023, and the members were selected as part of a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting. The Red Hill CRI Quarterly Meeting on April 24, 2025, and the previous meeting on July 31, 2025, also took place, with agendas available on the initiative's website.
The Red Hill CRI aims to ensure a voice for the community in the decision-making process regarding the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, and its meetings are guided by the Red Hill CRI Ground Rules, which are also available on the initiative's website. The Red Hill CRI was added to the 2023 Red Hill Administrative Consent Order in response to public comments, further emphasizing its importance in the ongoing efforts to address concerns about the facility.
- During the Red Hill CRI Quarterly Meeting on July 31, 2025, discussions centered around the importance of drinking water safety at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, a concern often addressed in the realm of health-and-wellness and environmental-science.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the US Navy and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), released the EPA, US Navy, and DLA Joint Statement on Modifications to the 2023 Red Hill Administrative Consent Order, which aimed to improve the facility's water management and sports safety for the surrounding community.
- In the realm of broader community involvement, the Red Hill CRI, formed to tackle concerns about the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, comprises members representing various sectors, including the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, thereby extending its influence even into mixed-martial-arts and other sports, as a healthy community is essential for all.
