Season 13 • Episode 1042

1042 - The Red Hill Water Crisis: How Jet Fuel Contaminated the Water Supply of More Than 60,000 People

Apr 27, 2026

18:57

Environmental Health Public Health Health Policy

Episode Description

About this episode:

A 2021 leak of jet fuel into the drinking water supply on O'ahu has caused neurological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory conditions and prompted outrage from community members. In this episode: the story of an in-depth investigation into the disaster, which covered how to measure exposure and support the individuals and families compromised by this crisis.

Guest:

Natalie Exum, PhD, MS, is an assistant professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute.

Andrew Whelton, PhD, MS, is a professor of civil and construction engineering at Purdue University.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

Clinical Follow-up and Care for Those Impacted by the JP-5 Releases at Red Hill—National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
About the Fuel Releases at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility—United States Environmental Protection Agency
How to Investigate a Cancer Cluster—Public Health On Call (December 2025)

Transcript information:

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