Numerous military families and civilians are still experiencing health issues due to the 2021 fuel leak in Hawaii.

In November 2021, 93,000 people residing near the U.S. military's strategic fuel storage facility in Honolulu, Hawaii were startled to discover their drinking water contaminated with hazardous jet fuel. A massive leak of 27,000 gallons had seeped into the aquifer near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Currently, over 2,500 plaintiffs who have experienced the aftereffects of consuming jet fuel have filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking up to $1.25 million in damages each.

During World War II, the largest fuel storage facility in the Pacific was constructed, known as Red Hill. It was built to store fuel in miles of tunnels that extended up to 20 stories underground, providing a strategic reserve of 250 million gallons for the Navy's Pacific Fleet.

The U.S. government is being sued by military families and civilians for water contamination at Red Hill, and trial lawyer Kristina Baehr of Just Well Law is representing them.

According to Baehr, the government referred to it as contamination while clients referred to it as poisoning, as it resulted in harm. Despite knowing it was contaminated, the government allowed its use.

Her clients experience a variety of long-term symptoms, including Parkinson's and seizures, according to Baehr.

Baehr, who experienced toxic exposure within her own family, left her job at the Department of Justice to advocate for families like hers.

Baehr stated that the thousands of people she represents in the lawsuit are coming forward not for their own sake, but to prevent it from happening again for the benefit of everyone. As a country, we cannot be prepared for missions if our people are sick.

The case is named after the family of Jaclyn Hughes, who gave birth to her son Maverick just days after he was born, he was covered in red rashes, and her throat burned after drinking the water in their home.

At the time of the leak, Hughes's husband was deployed with the U.S. Navy, which caused him to miss the birth of their son. When he returned home to meet Maverick, the water had an oily sheen and smelled of gasoline, as Hughes explained.

Hughes shared with Fox that her husband was deployed overseas at the time of their son's birth. Despite coming home five days later to meet his newborn brother, they were left in the hands of the Navy, which refused them care, denied them access to resources, and gaslit them. As a result, they have not received all the necessary care for their daughter.

Kyla, their four-year-old daughter, experienced a full psychosis due to the leak, according to Hughes.

Kyla, who was once a cheerful and carefree four-year-old girl, suddenly experienced symptoms that led her to full psychosis. Her condition progressed from being a normal-functioning student to being unable to leave the house for months due to her level of disability, according to Hughes.

At the time of the leak, Aurora Briggs was 22 years old and residing in civilian housing on U.S. Navy-owned land with her younger siblings and mother. Since then, she has experienced a range of symptoms including sore throat, memory loss, and brain fog. Currently living in Arizona, Briggs has faced difficulties in obtaining proper care.

Briggs explained that it is not common for doctors to be informed that patients' symptoms are caused by prolonged exposure to jet fuel.

Briggs stated that the list is so extensive that we need a binder to keep track of all the different conditions, symptoms, doctor's appointments, and everything.

Briggs stated that she felt like she had dementia because she would forget things and struggle with word recall, making it difficult to communicate.

Both Hughes and Briggs believe the U.S. Navy is responsible for the mishandling of the leak.

The Navy grossly mishandled the Red Hill contamination, specifically in communication, maintenance, and handling. As a proud Navy family, we are betrayed by the institution that was supposed to protect us. Our husband, who serves, is currently underway, and our family has a long history of service.

In March 2022, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Red Hill facility to be closed, resulting in the relocation of 12.4 million gallons of diesel and 93 million gallons of jet fuel to various locations in the Indo-Pacific area of command.

Despite Baehr's statement, the Navy has not yet removed the jet fuel from the pipes. Families continue to report a sheen in the water and an oily odor.

"Despite the EPA's concern and the Navy's continued blindness, the water is not safe as people are still reporting symptoms and the situation has persisted since November 2021."

The Navy denied this claim in a statement to Planet Chronicle.

In November 2021, the Navy promptly acted to recover (flush) the system and established a comprehensive sampling program. Additionally, the Navy disconnected the affected well and guaranteed that all drinking water was sourced from a different shaft.

The Navy has taken 9,000 water samples to EPA-approved labs and found that the water now meets state and federal safety standards. Additionally, the Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed through its own independent investigation that no petroleum or jet fuel compounds were detected in drinking water samples collected at or near the Navy base.

The fallout from the leak presents a long road to address.

"Accountability is necessary, as there are thousands of families affected, with kids who are sick and require long-term care. We need to hear them acknowledge our injuries," Hughes stated.