What to know
CDC/ATSDR conducted three Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) investigations for Red Hill Response. The purpose of the investigations was to determine the potential health effects of a petroleum leak into the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Water Distribution System on people and communities.
CDC/ATSDR ACE investigations
When a sudden disaster releases chemicals into the environment, state and local governments can request that ATSDR assess the event's potential health effects on people and communities. To do so, ATSDR would conduct an Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) investigation. ATSDR's ACE Program forms a multi-disciplinary—often multi-agency—team to assist state and local health departments in performing a rapid epidemiologic assessment at the site.
The ACE team uses a customizable ACE toolkit to help collect and analyze information that includes:
- Surveys.
- Consent forms.
- Medical chart abstraction forms.
- An interviewer training manual.
- Software tools and databases.
ACE Investigations for Red Hill Response
CDC/ATSDR has conducted three ACE investigations to assess the potential health effects of the November 2021 petroleum leak into the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Water Distribution System.
In January and February 2022, at the request of the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH), CDC/ATSDR conducted an ACE investigation. They asked affected civilians and military personnel about their exposures to the contaminated water, health symptoms they experienced, and medical care they sought. Read more about the first ACE and its findings.
In August and September 2022, at the request of HDOH, CDC/ATSDR conducted a follow-up ACE investigation to assess ongoing community concerns and health impacts. Read more about the second ACE investigation and its preliminary findings. The final results of the second ACE investigation are pending publication.
In February and March 2023, at the request of the Department of Defense's Defense Health Agency, CDC/ATSDR conducted an ACE investigation to assess the incident's health effects on military personnel. In this ACE investigation, they examined military health records. The third ACEs investigation's results are still being analyzed and prepared for publication.