Community members gathered at Moanalua High School on August 2, for the University of Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯²õ Launch and Community Fair, an event aimed at promoting awareness and support for those who experienced the 2021 fuel release into the Navy¡¯²õ drinking water system on Oʻahu.
The launch marked the public debut of the Red Hill Registry, an independent initiative designed to track health outcomes and connect individuals who were exposed to the water crisis with resources. The registry was developed through a partnership between the and community members.
“What I hope is that people will really feel connected and they have a community,” said Aimee Grace, principal investigator and director of the UH Office of Strategic Health Initiatives. “If they have some sort of need, whether it¡¯²õ a health need or whether it¡¯²õ a social service need, they can come to us and we can help navigate that process and find the resources they need.”
“It¡¯²õ extremely important that anybody who experienced the Red Hill water crisis enroll in the registry,” said Rosana “Sanie” Weldon, UH Red Hill Registry director. “That way we can get the most comprehensive data so that we can really start to determine whether there are links between the jet fuel exposure in the drinking water and any health outcomes.”
The family-friendly event featured informational booths, keiki activities, food and opportunities for attendees to learn more about the registry and how to enroll. Community organizations and support service providers were on hand to offer guidance and assistance.
The registry seeks to build a comprehensive picture of the long-term impacts of the Red Hill fuel release, with participation open to anyone who lived, worked, attended daycare or studied in affected areas. Organizers emphasized that enrollment is valuable regardless of whether individuals have experienced health issues to date. .
“On the one hand, I¡¯m gratified that we¡¯re doing this. It¡¯²õ the right thing to do. We have to do this to take care of folks,” U.S. Rep. Ed Case said. “On the other hand, we¡¯ve got to track this over time, get the word out to anybody that you should register so that we can determine these health consequences over time.”
“To me, it always had to be with entities like the University of Â鶹´«Ã½, run by kids who literally drink this water themselves and understand how important it is for us to make good on our obligations to take care of the community,” U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said.