HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill is gearing up to tackle sludge removal from Tanks 7 and 8 at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, with oversight from the EPA and Hawaii Department of Health inspectors throughout the operation.
Access to Tank 7 was granted to personnel on June 21, marking a pivotal step as crews installed crucial safety and lighting equipment needed for the upcoming sludge removal and cleaning tasks.
A similar process had commenced with Tank 8 the week prior.
Sludge, a mix of fuel residue, water, dirt, metal particles, and microorganisms that settles at the tank bottoms, will be manually shoveled out by workers using 5-gallon buckets.
The extracted sludge will fill 55-gallon drums, which are then sealed within containment devices in the facility tunnels to prevent spills.
These drums will be shipped off the island to a permitted waste disposal site on the mainland.
Previously, the Joint Task Force-Red Hill successfully removed more than 104 million gallons of fuel from the site before transitioning the closure mission to NCTF-RH.
Initial assessments by NCTF-RH suggest that Tanks 7 and 8 may have less sludge than originally estimated.
Once sludge removal and catwalk certification are completed, additional equipment will be installed to prepare for tank washing operations.
For more information visit the NCTF-RH website.