By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — Greater than two dozen families have joined a lawsuit accusing the U.S. Navy of creating them sick from jet fuel that leaked into the faucet water of their Hawaii homes.
There are actually greater than 100 people in an amended lawsuit filed Thursday that also accuses the Navy of destroying greater than 1,000 water samples collected from affected homes.
The families say within the lawsuit the samples could have revealed chemicals within the water.
U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the federal government within the lawsuit didn’t immediately return an email looking for comment Thursday.
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A fuel storage facility within the hills above Pearl Harbor leaked petroleum into the Navy’s tap water system last 12 months and sickened nearly 6,000 people, mostly those living in military housing.
The lawsuit was initially filed in August with 4 families alleging the Navy hasn’t fully disclosed the scope of the contamination and hasn’t provided appropriate medical care to those that are sick.
The lawsuit said the Navy continues to assert families should not sick from the jet fuel exposure.
The Hawaii Department of Health ordered the Navy to shutter the power after the spill.
The military recently said it finished draining three pipelines and expects to complete draining the tanks in 2024.
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