More than 2,200 military families and civilians filed the latest lawsuit Monday against the federal government over water contamination at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam , Hawaii — many of whom say they still suffer health effects from the 2021 debacle that sent thousands of gallons of jet fuel into the tap water in their homes.
The suit — the third filed over spills at the U.S. Navy ‘s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility — alleges that personnel, families and civilians have ongoing medical conditions as a result of drinking, bathing and inhaling fumes from the base water supply.
Several families say the health consequences have been so severe that they have been placed in their respective services’ Exceptional Family Member Programs, giving them access to additional services and treatment but limiting them to assignments in locations where such care is available.
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The case, Hughes et. al. v. the United States of America, is named for the family of Jaclyn Hughes, the spouse of an active-duty Navy officer who was living on base on Nov. 22, 2021, when more than 5,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from the Red Hill facility into a drinking water well operated by the service.