Red Hill Needs to Think About the Soil— STAT.

The problems with the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility continue to percolate. It’s a complex situation but there is a cost-effective solution that can remediate the petroleum-impacted soil and prevent it from causing more harm to human health and the environment of Oahu, HI.  While the Navy and Hawaiian Government are currently working towards a resolution for the storage facility, the on-going cleanup of water and soil needs to be happening now to prevent greater damage from happening in the future.

What’s Happening at Red Hill? 

Constructed during the World War II era to help mitigate risk from aerial attacks, the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility was built underground and hidden into the volcanic hill. The site consists of 20 underground storage tanks that are each roughly as high as a 25-story building and have the capacity to hold 250 million gallons of fuel. The aging infrastructure and the location of the tanks have been an ongoing concern for Hawaii's Department of Health and the Honolulu Board of Water as the site is situated 100 feet above the aquifer that sources water to 93,000 residents.

Late 2021 after a fuel leak, petroleum was detected in water samples after residents near Red Hill reported feeling sick and smelling a gas odor from their tap water. Testing discovered that petroleum levels in the water supply were elevated 350 times over what is considered safe. Since then, thousands of military families have been displaced and the Navy has suspended operations and have been rapidly working to restore clean drinking water to the area. At this time, residents are hopeful that they can return home to clean drinking water by the end of February 2022.

Take Care of the Immediate Water Crisis First, But Make Sure the Soil Is Next. 

There’s no doubt that clean drinking water is a critical first step for Red Hill. The second step to consider is the contaminated soil around the area before rains push the contaminants from the petroleum-impacted soil back into the water tables.

When it comes to traditional soil remediation, Hawaii’s geography and its location to the mainland presents challenges. It’s expensive to ship away contaminated soil and ship in clean, non-native soils. Further, relocating contaminated soils, on or off island, only spreads the problem to different areas without solving it.

Until now, the thermal soil remediation industry hasn’t had mobile, waste-free, sustainable solutions that meet stringent environmental criteria. The new treatment technology developed by Iron Creek Group bridges this gap to help states and NGOs effectively remediate environmentally-impacted land in a responsible and permanent way.

The Future of Soil Remediation. 

Iron Creek’s technologies have been tried and tested in the most pristine environments around the world, from the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between. Their patented Enhanced Thermal Conduction (ETC) technology offers long-term game-changing advantages, especially to remote locations, like Hawaii, who face two common issues: stringent environmental regulations and steep transportation costs to ship materials in and out of state.

The small, mobile footprint of ETC soil remediation cells are quiet and efficient, requiring a small dedicated team to oversee operations. There are no waste materials, so all contaminated soil can be treated on-site without the associated liability of trucking contaminants off-site and shipping them to a landfill on the mainland.

Most impressive is the ability to use the petroleum-contaminated soil from impacted sites to fuel the technology responsible for cleaning the soil of contaminants. The process uses the elements from the waste to power the thermal process which minimizes fuel costs.

Once constructed, the Enhanced Thermal Conduction soil remediation technology reduces the carbon footprint of the clean-up offering a sustainable, waste-free way to restore the land. After the soil has tested free of contaminants, it is safe to be reused and reseeded with native vegetation. This process prevents the need and the cost of importing non-native soils into unique ecosystems like Hawaii’s.

Red Hill is Not the First or the Last WWII-Era-Solution We'll Need to Address.

Iron Creek Group has worked with big energy companies, the Navy, Air Force and the Department of Defense to successfully remediate hydrocarbon and chemically-impacted soils around the world, while exceeding strict environmental regulations.

Red Hill is just one of many scenarios where the solutions of the 1930s and 40s have now become modern day disasters. Red Hill reinforces the importance of having technology that can not only reach remote and challenging locations, but also do so in a swift way that complies with regulations and meets budgets.

 So, as the Navy works to restore clean water, we’re standing by with our mobile technology ready to get to work on restoring the health of Hawaii’s native soil to ensure it’s safe for residential use.

About Iron Creek Group

Serving North America, Iron Creek Group is an award-winning, innovative thermal soil remediation company that specializes in the thermal treatment of the most difficult wastes in the most challenging locations. Founded in 2015 by a team of environmental experts with vast backgrounds in waste removal, recycling and soil remediation, the group specializes in alternative soil remedial technologies that are proven, predictable, environmentally-friendly and cost effective. Learn how they’re leveraging technology to challenge the existing thermal remediation paradigm by visiting, https://www.ironcreekgroup.com

For questions and further information, please email Ken Bell: ken@ironcreekgroup.com.