Closing of concrete recycler leaves eyesore

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

The sudden closing of a concrete recycling business near Sand Island Access Road has left mountains of concrete and asphalt on the property, which is now an eyesore for Ke'ehi Lagoon residents and the state's responsibility to clean up.

Resource Recovery Ltd.'s processing facility was closed down two weeks ago, leaving behind large hills of concrete, top soil and asphalt. The business was nearly $900,000 behind in rent owed to the state. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Looking more like a science fiction movie set than a recycling center, the site has 40-foot-tall mounds of dirt and rock asphalt rising among rusting machinery, empty trailers and ripped-out fences.

State Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said Swift owed nearly $900,000 in back rent. At $20,000 a month, that is nearly four years of nonpayment.

"We've been fighting to get our lease rent and he has been going to bankruptcy court to halt the process," Ishikawa said. "He ran out of options and the sheriffs evicted him."

The state had not renewed his lease since 2001, but could not get Swift off the property because of the bankruptcy proceedings, Ishikawa said.

The state now plans to find a new company to lease the site and clean up the tons of debris, possibly continuing the recycling operation.

Swift said he laid off several workers and all his equipment has been confiscated. He said the state made it difficult for his business by cutting back the hours he was allowed to work from 24 hours to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week.

"We had gone to court because they had arbitrarily reduced the hours," Swift said. "They reduced our hours by two-thirds but didn't change the rent."

Ishikawa said access to all businesses in the area was limited after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as part of restrictions to harbor areas statewide. No rents were changed, he said.

"We had a security gate that was open from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. and technically he could operate during those hours," Ishikawa said. "The harbors division said he never operated 24 hours a day anyway."

Resource Recovery crushed and recycled concrete and asphalt from construction sites. Swift said the company annually took in 60,000 to 70,000 tons of debris and produced clean fill and base course, a foundation layer for roads made of recycled gravel.

According to city statistics, nearly 140,000 tons of rock, concrete and asphalt from construction and demolition sites was recycled in 2002.

Steve Chang, chief of the state Department of Health's Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, said Swift had owned a similar operation in Wai'anae that went bankrupt in the late 1990s and also left a mess for the next land user to clean up.

Chang said there are several other companies that continue to recycle concrete and asphalt, including Grace Pacific Corp. and American Hauling Inc., so the closure of Swift's operation should not cause a problem for contractors who want to recycle material from job sites.

"If there is a market, somebody will fill the market," Chang said. "Hopefully, we can bring in a new processor and use the material on the site and the new operator ... will take care of the mess."

Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator, said illegal dumping should not increase because one recycling business has been shut down.

"I think the contractors that were delivering concrete to Resource Recovery are going to deliver that concrete to its proper destination," Jones said. "Illegal dumping is another animal altogether. It is from unscrupulous people who are avoiding a tipping fee."

Until the property can be cleaned up, boaters who live in Ke'ehi Lagoon will have their views blocked by the piles of rubbish.

"It is absolutely hideous," said Louis Rodrigues, who lives on a boat moored in the lagoon.

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.