Tern Island is the largest island in the coral reef atoll known as French Frigate Shoals. The entire atoll and its lagoon are part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. From 1952 to 1979, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) operated a station on Tern Island. Prior to this, the U.S. Navy operated an airfield on the island from 1942 to 1946. The following environmental concerns were identified as a result of an Environmental Compliance Audit.

A large generator building was left by the USCG. The Refuge needed to use this building for workshops and storage, however, the generator room ceiling was coated with a layer of asbestos which was applied as a ‘flock' to the building surface. It was highly friable and starting to crumble and spread inside and outside the building. Due to the Refuge not occupying the building, several seabirds were finding ways into the building and nesting on the window ledges and on materials stacked around the generator room. Refuge personnel attempted to block this wildlife ingress with limited success. A contractor had removed asbestos from a portion of the building but deteriorating, encapsulated bags of asbestos needed to be transported off the atoll. Tthe USCG Barracks buildings served as the office and living quarters for the permanent manager and numerous volunteers and visiting researchers. Sewage flows from the facility entered a septic tank that had not been cleaned for several years. Due to the isolation and limited fresh water supply at Tern, salt water was used to flush toilets resulting in inadequate decomposition of waste. Documented contaminants in the waste include PCB's and lead. It was necessary to do something as the tank was 'brimming' and about to overflow. Overflow of the tank would have contaminated pupping beaches used by the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, nesting beaches of the threatened Hawaiian green sea turtle, and the offshore reef.

As a result of this cleanup project, the following tasks were accomplished:

• Asbestos Removal - This project was accomplished using a contractor from Honolulu, HI, and involved removing thermal asbestos from the ceiling in the bunk house and generator building (approx 2500 sq. ft ), computer room floor tiles (approx 1500 sq ft) in the generator building and transite asbestos from the wall space (approx 500 sq ft). The asbestos was bagged, transported and properly disposed of.
• Storage of Fuel - Three 500 gallon, double walled steel tanks with Fiber Reinforced Polymer coating were purchased for storing unleaded gasoline (marine use - 2 tanks) and diesel (generator use - 1 tank).
• Solid Waste Removal - all the solid waste items, most left over by the military personnel, were removed from the island. Most of the items will be recycled. The waste included old generators, associated piping, heaters, freezers, control panels, marine debris and old furniture.
• Septic Improvement - The old septic system was modified through a newly installed septic tank which facilitates natural disintegration of the solids. The water passes through the old septic tank's liquid compartment to an existing leach field.
• Cleaning water tanks - Liners in existing redwood water tanks were deteriorated and needed cleaning. A contractor removed the old liners and sediments in the bottom of the tanks (including dead birds in three of the tanks) and installed new liners on all 5 redwood water storage tanks (capacity approx 12,000 gallons each). One tank is now exclusively used to store purified water for drinking purposes. The liners have a 10 year warranty under normal uses.
• Solar Power modification - The new addition will add more than 5 KW by using two new power inverters'. The new system will be dedicated to run the Reverse Osmosis Water system.
• Reverse Osmosis Water system - A 1200 gallon per day (approx 60 gallons per hour) capacity RO system was purchased and installed.

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