Red Hill Fuel Contamination (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii)

What Red Hill fuel spill, Hawaii is

• JP-5 / JP-8 jet fuel and related petroleum hydrocarbons released into the Navy water distribution system serving roughly 93,000 people in 2021.
• Documented symptoms reported by exposed populations: skin rashes, headaches, nausea, vomiting, neurological symptoms, and respiratory irritation.
• DoD-acknowledged 2014 release of ~27,000 gallons of fuel from a Red Hill tank — predecessor contamination event.
• Defense Health Agency Red Hill Clinic established to evaluate and document exposed-patient cases.

Who was exposed

• Active-duty servicemembers and family members residing in JBPHH housing on the affected water system during the 2021 release window.
• Personnel assigned to JBPHH and surrounding installations who consumed the water.
• Civilians and contractors on the affected utility system.

Recognized conditions & VA framework

• No statutory presumptive list exists for Red Hill as of this update.
• Conditions commonly claimed: chronic GI symptoms, headaches, fatigue, neurological complaints, dermatitis, respiratory conditions, and reproductive-health complaints temporally linked to the exposure window.
• VA has publicly committed to evaluating Red Hill claims and has stood up internal awareness for raters; veterans should still file with full evidence rather than waiting on a future presumption.

Evidence to gather

• Service or housing records placing the veteran on the affected JBPHH water system during the release window (especially Nov 2021 – early 2022).
• DHA Red Hill Clinic records or any contemporaneous medical visit documenting exposure symptoms.
• Diagnosis records for the claimed condition.
• Nexus opinion connecting the diagnosis to documented Red Hill petroleum-hydrocarbon exposure.
• Buddy or family statements describing the smell, taste, and onset of symptoms during the exposure window.

Claim path

1. File VA Form 21-526EZ as a direct service-connection claim citing Red Hill fuel exposure and the specific release window.
2. Attach assignment/housing records and any DHA Red Hill Clinic documentation.
3. If the condition has worsened, also claim an increase or any secondary conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression secondary to chronic GI symptoms).
4. Monitor the Federal Register for any future presumption — if one is later enacted, prior denials can be revisited via Supplemental Claim.

Authoritative reference

VA Public Health publishes its own overview of this exposure. Use it as a citation in your claim narrative: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/index.asp

Where these claims break down

• ×Waiting for a presumption to be enacted before filing — claims should be filed now to preserve effective dates.
• ×Failing to document on-system residency. Even a housing-allocation memo or utility record can anchor the exposure.
• ×Treating the 2021 event as the only release — the 2014 spill is also a documented exposure event.
• ×Omitting children's pediatric records when filing dependency-related claims with VA or related DoD avenues.

Frequently Asked Questions