A civil suit was filed against the U.S. government on Thursday by five military service members who allege they were physically affected by the 2021 Red Hill fuel leaks while off duty.
It's been about two years since the facility sickened thousands of people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well. A large amount of Oʻahu residents rely on drinking water from the aquifer that sits 100 feet below the fuel storage facility.
The plaintiffs of the suit include Army Col. Jessica Whaley, Army Maj. Amanda Feindt, Army Chief Warrant Officer Elizabeth Thompson-Watson, Navy Chief Petty Officer Brian Jessup and Navy Petty Officer First Class Dustin Wallace.
Each has a family with children who were exposed to contaminated water. They argue that while at home, they suffered “extraordinary, compensable harm" from the fuel that leaked into their drinking water.
The complaint details the plaintiffs' lasting physical, emotional and financial problems from ingesting jet fuel or being displaced from their homes.
Whaley, her husband and four children were exposed to jet fuel while living at the Aliamanu Military Reservation, according to the suit. She has since started to experience joint pain since the contamination.
Additionally, the complaint noted that dental issues are now more common for her entire family.
The suit is holding the U.S. government to the Federal Tort Claims Act, which outlines the ways government employees might be liable for damages or incidents that result from proven neglect.
The plaintiffs say they want relief from the federal government for their losses and damages resulting from the Red Hill leaks.
Read Whaley, et al., v. The United States of America below:
