US military to begin draining Pearl Harbor pipelines

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) — The U.S. military says it’s ready to begin draining fuel from three pipelines as part of an initial step toward closing a World War II-era fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water last year.

The military will spend six days draining the pipelines one by one starting Tuesday.

Fuel is expected to move through the pipes for a total of 12 hours.

The fuel has been sitting in the pipes since the military suspended use of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility last year after it leaked petroleum into a drinking water well serving 93,000 people in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.