An article by Hawai’i Public Radio discussing the recent closing arguments in a case that will determine if the US Navy should defuel its Red Hill storage tanks cited comments from partner Ella Foley Gannon, who represented the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in the latest hearing following water contamination in November 2021. According to the Navy, the fuel releases from last year were due to faulty pipes—not the fuel tanks themselves—and the Navy has vapor-warning systems to detect fuel leaks. During the hearing, Ella responded to these statements and questioned the Navy systems’ reliability. “How did we find out that there was fuel in the drinking water? Because people turned on their taps, and they smelled it and they tasted it,” she said.
This story was also covered in Hawaii News Now and Honolulu Civil Beat.