Posted on: Monday, March 4, 2002
EPA handed out $3.8 million in fines in Hawai'i
| • | Clearer pollution data sought |
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued nearly $3.8 million in fines and penalties to Hawai'i companies and state agencies in 2000 and 2001.
The violations all resulted from problems with handling of fuel, emissions and hazardous materials.
Most of the fines involved permit violations and failure to keep proper records, but several were issued for releases of toxic compounds into the environment.
The University of Hawai'i received the stiffest punishment. It was required to pay more than $1.7 million for serious failures in its handling of toxic materials.
Investigators from the state Department of Health and the EPA found that the university had significant amounts of flammable, poisonous, corrosive and other dangerous materials that were improperly labeled and improperly stored at its Manoa campus, and at agricultural experiment stations on Kaua'i and at Waiakea in Hilo.
"This clearly teaches the wrong lesson about hazardous waste and chemical safety," said Jeff Scott, director of the EPA's Pacific Southwest hazardous waste division.
The university was required to pay a direct fine of $505,000 and to spend $1.2 million on a system-wide audit of its waste handling programs and facilities. It was also required to prepare a program to minimize the amount of pollutants it handles.
Chevron was hit with the biggest single fine during the two-year period, a $800,000 assessment for lacking proper air pollution control equipment at its bulk gasoline terminals in Hilo and Kahului, and for not properly inspecting and reporting equipment leaks at the Kapolei oil refinery.
The EPA cited Tesoro Hawai'i for sulfur-dioxide releases at its oil refinery that made several people sick. For that and other violations, the agency assessed fines and penalties totalling $731,720.
A 1999 sulfuric acid spill on O'ahu and a failure to report hazardous chemicals stored at its Hilo, Waikapu and Puhi sites earned Brewer Environmental a $236,000 fine.
Hawaiian Air, Hawaiian Electric, AES Hawai'i and several gas stations were issued smaller fines.
