Posted on: Monday, April 11, 2005

Pollutants cost state $1.8M more

Advertiser Staff

The state is spending $1.8 million for methane mitigation at a second portion of the Commercial Fishing Village at Honolulu Harbor's Pier 38.

The state's $17 million fishing village across the highway from Nimitz Center opened last year after a three-year delay because of problems with methane gas in the ground.

The state previously spent $1.4 million to remove contaminated soil, install an impermeable barrier under a building and put in pipes to allow gas to escape, from the ground up to the rooftops, on two parcels last year.

The new money will be used for methane mitigation on two more of the nine parcels at the village before they are occupied.

A lease is now being negotiated between the state and a fish wholesaler and a fish retail business.

"I am excited to see this project finally completed, for the sake of our taxpayers and the fishing industry," said Gov. Linda Lingle. "This facility is a showcase for Hawai'i's fishing industry and is already attracting residents and visitors. The state will continue to implement the necessary methane mitigation measures to ensure the area is safe for the people who work in and visit the fishing village."

The Commercial Fishing Village is divided into nine parcels. A 32,000-square-foot multi-use building sits on one parcel.

The two anchor tenants opened last year — the United Fishing Agency fish auction facility and Pacific Ocean Producers, which provides supplies to commercial fisherman and their vessels and the fish auction house.

The piers were in industrial use for decades and huge fuel tanks and underground pipes were on the site.

The primary source of the methane gas is "anaerobic decomposition of petroleum hydrocarbon residues in the soil," according to a state Health Department report.