Lucy Young-Oda, editorial page editor of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Honolulu, Hawaii, received second-place honors in the over 35,000 circulation category of the Editorials category of the Carmage Walls Commentary Prize competition.
Second-place includes a curved glass plaque and a cash prize of $1,000.
Young-Oda said, “Since November 2021 when the U.S. Navy's fuel spillage contaminated some of Oahu's drinking-water supply, it has been a constant battle to hold the military to account, and to get straight answers. Despite the military's ongoing lack of transparency and subterfuge, our editorials have pressed to get answers for the public, and to remind the Navy/military that Hawaii WILL hold them accountable for poisoning our water and environment. Our tireless efforts along with those of many water-safety advocates, have contributed to getting the U.S. Defense Department/Secretary to pledge both imminent closure of its Red Hill fuel-storage facility, and to mitigate environmental damage that it has caused.”
Read these editorials:
Among the comments made by contest judges:
