Posted on: Thursday, May 31, 2001

Power producer fined $45,430

Advertiser Staff and News Services

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined coal-fired independent power producer AES Hawai'i Inc. of Kapolei $45,430 for failure to file accurate reports on the releases of toxic chemicals.

During an inspection of the AES facility at Campbell Industrial Park in May last year, EPA investigators discovered that zinc compounds, chlorine and sulfuric acid were underreported for 1998.

The company, which supplies Hawaiian Electric Co. with about 20 percent of O'ahu's daily electricity needs, also overreported its release of some chemicals for 1998, the EPA said. The federal agency added that 1998 was the first year it required power companies to report toxic releases under a new program.

"Our mistakes were what I believe were first-year growing pains," said Kevin Pierce, AES Hawai'i president. "Administratively we weren't prepared for the project. Now we have the bugs worked out."