HONOLULU (KHON2) — A federal court judge has found the U.S. Navy liable for causing thousands to be sickened by the fuel spill at Red Hill in 2021.
Attorneys for the thousands of victims call it a historic win.
“This is the first environmental injury case to prevail against the United States of America. And what it shows is that there is no institution too big. There’s no institution that is immune from liability for poisoning families,” said Kristina Baehr, attorney.
The non-jury trial lasted two weeks in May 2024.
Federal judge Leslie Kobayashi ruled Wednesday, May 7 that the chemicals in the jet fuel spill in November 2021 had the capacity to cause harm alleged by the plaintiffs.
“Thousands of people got sick, and then the government came to court and said there wasn’t enough fuel in the water to make anyone sick. The court said every single person on that waterline was affected. Every family is entitled to damages,” Baehr added.
Damages ranged from as low as $3,000 to as high as $75,000 for pain and suffering and emotional distress.
The Navy said it does not comment on ongoing litigation, but in a statement, said the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill remains committed to the safe decommissioning of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
This ruling was for 17 victims, even though there are more than 7,500 who are suing. Lawyers said that’s because the courts cannot handle that many cases at once.
The plaintiff’s lawyer said this ruling not only sets the precedent for the rest of the victims, but also for the entire public.
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“Today I’m tremendously proud of them. They came to court and they told their stories and they held the government accountable for poisoning their families. And they did that not for themselves, but for all of us.”