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The collection of research and military facilities known as “Science City‚” is shown at the summit of Haleakala in 2016. Earlier this week, a mechanical issue caused 700 gallons of diesel fuel to spill at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex located at the summit. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Calling it “completely unacceptable,” state and federal officials pressed for accountability in the wake of a 700-gallon diesel fuel spill at a U.S. military complex at the summit of Haleakala, the latest in a series of hazardous material leaks at military facilities in the state.

“I’m greatly alarmed a significant fuel spill occurred yesterday on our sacred ‘aina entrusted to the United States Military. Poor stewardship is not acceptable, and there is absolutely no legitimate excuse for continuing to create environmental emergencies,” state Rep. Mahina Poepoe, whose district covers East Maui, Molokai and Lanai, said in a statement Wednesday. “More information is needed about the extent and cause of the spill. However, this type of incident cannot keep occurring. We need to hold the military accountable for protecting our land from future degradation.”

Hundreds of gallons of fuel were released after a pump for an on-site backup generator at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex failed to shut off due to a mechanical issue on Sunday night. Site maintenance personnel discovered the problem at 8 a.m. Monday and immediately deactivated the transfer pump, the U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific said in a news release Tuesday night.

“We understand the importance of being good stewards of the environment and will work with necessary state and federal officials as we begin clean-up efforts,” Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, commander of the U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, said in the news release.

When asked what the mechanical issue was, a representative from the U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific communications team said Wednesday that this was under investigation. Environmental and cleanup teams are going up to the site to take care of the issue, the representative said.

State Sen. Lynn DeCoite, whose district spans East Maui, Molokai and Lanai, was one of several lawmakers saying she would push for transparency and accountability by the agencies involved.

“This 700-gallon fuel spill atop Haleakala is completely unacceptable and very concerning for those who live and work near the summit,” DeCoite said in a statement Wednesday. “Haleakala plays a crucial role in the ecosystem of Maui island, and any contamination of our water sources and natural resources could have devastating effects.”

Upcountry state Rep. Kyle Yamashita called the incident “deeply troubling.”

“I will work closely with state and federal regulators to monitor this situation and hold the responsible parties accountable,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

The state Department of Health, which was notified of the spill along the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said that “the extent of the release is still under investigation” and that it had a site visit planned for Tuesday.

“Due to the remote location of the release, the risk of potential health impacts is low,” the DOH Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office told The Maui News on Wednesday. “However, the DOH takes a release of diesel into the environment seriously, and we’ve requested that the potentially responsible party conduct a site characterization to determine the extent of the release.”

The EPA said Wednesday that it was working with the DOH, which is leading efforts to work with the Space Force on immediate cleanup.

“EPA staff will be joining DOH on-site next Tuesday to observe the state’s assessment and inspect the site to see if federal Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations under the Clean Water Act potentially apply,” the agency told The Maui News.

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, whose 2nd Congressional District covers rural Oahu and the Neighbor Islands, informed The Maui News she also was monitoring the spill and requesting updates from the military and the EPA.

“I expect to learn how this happened, the timeline for clean-up, and how they will ensure that this never happens again,” said Tokuda, who also sits on the House Armed Services Committee. “Haleakala is sacred to members of the Native Hawaiian community and beloved by residents and visitors alike. We have a collective duty to protect our ‘aina, and I expect further information so we can understand the extent and impacts of this leak and determine the best path forward for remediation.”

Scrutiny of the fuel spill at Haleakala comes after more than 20,000 gallons of fuel spilled at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oahu in 2021, tainting drinking water for thousands of residents. In November, 1,100 gallons of fire suppressant foam spilled at the same facility last year.

While the incident on Maui contained echoes of Red Hill, the DOH explained that “the terrains of the two locations are very different.”

“Haleakala is a remote location, and potential impact to communities is low,” the department said. “The Red Hill release, as we know, impacted approximately 93,000 people, due to the location of the Navy’s drinking water well and its proximity to the release. Also, the Haleakala release occurred from an aboveground storage tank system, while the Red Hill release occurred from an underground storage tank system.”

Run by a U.S. Space Force squadron, the Maui Space Surveillance Complex hosts the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest optical telescope designed for tracking and imaging satellites, with visible and infrared sensors to collect data on near-Earth and deep-space objects. The complex was originally built as an electro-optical observation platform for missile tests and was used by the DOD for research and development and operational missions starting in the early 1960s, according to the Space Force’s website.

It’s one of the many research and military facilities known collectively as “Science City” at summit of Haleakala, whose sacred status among the Native Hawaiian community has long sparked debates over scientific advancements competing with cultural and environmental interests.

“Sierra Club Maui, along with many kanaka maoli groups, has had concerns for many years about impacts from the military and civilian operations at Science City at the top of Haleakala,” Lucienne de Naie, chairperson of the Sierra Club Maui Group Executive Committee, said Wednesday. “There have been reports of various impacts that were not fully addressed and we continue to have concerns about the appropriateness of industrial-scale operations in a very sensitive ecosystem that is regarded by kanaka maoli as a sacred place.”

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com. Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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