Mike Prysner Of 'Empire Files' On Red Hill Leaks And US Navy Poisoning Water In Hawaii

For the last episode of 2021, Mike Prysner, a producer for "Empire Files," joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola to share his reporting on the Red Hill fuel leaks at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.   

Fuel tanks once again leaked petroleum and threatened the water supply of surrounding communities. The leaks poisoned military and non-military people, who rely on the same water. It is a problem that goes back decades and has likely resulted in hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel leaking into the water since World War II.   

Mike describes meeting with people impacted by the pollution and what indigenous communities are doing to fight back. He outlines the lies the U.S. Navy are telling Hawaiians and why they think they can get away with not shutting down the tanks, as even city officials in Honolulu are demanding.   

Later in the show, Mike comments on U.S. sanctions in Afghanistan and links it back to the suffering unfolding in communities nearby by the Pearl Harbor-Hickam military base.