OTHER NEWS
Illegal dumping plagues Palolo

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

Palolo Valley residents are decrying a persistent problem with illegal dumping after the latest blight, a stack of washers dumped on the sidewalk outside an old laundry at Palolo Avenue and Kauhana Street. No sooner had the city picked up five abandoned washers found late last month than 17 more washers and dryers from an old laundry business were dumped at the same site.

Only weeks after the city hauled away washers illegally left outside the defunct Palolo Launderette, 17 more have been dumped there. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

City officials say the owners of the property are responsible, and have been warned. The majority property owner, however, said yesterday that the responsibility lies with the former operator of the laundry, who could not be reached for comment.

Palolo resident Phyllis Castro said she wants valley neighbors to identify and clean up illegal dump sites and will pitch her idea at the Palolo Neighborhood Board at 7 p.m. today.

"We have to identify the hot spots and deal with them individually," Castro said. "There are properties on Palolo and 10th avenues that are consistently violators, and nothing is done about it."

For years, individuals and businesses have used Palolo Valley as a place to illegally discarded mattresses, refrigerators, used tires and dead car batteries, leaving them by the side of the road and on the sidewalk.

Bulk-item pickup in Palolo is set for the third Wednesday of the month and the machines would have been left on the sidewalk for about a month if a special pickup had not been arranged, Castro said.

The city picked up the machines, but on Feb. 2, 17 more machines appeared stacked two high and people are now adding more garbage to the pile.

"This is frustrating," Castro said. "If you don't slap their hand as soon as it happens and send a clear message that this is unacceptable, it continues to happen. And when people see the trash, they think it is acceptable."

Last year, Gov. Linda Lingle signed a law making the illegal dumping of large amounts of garbage a felony. The law prohibits the dumping of 10 cubic yards or more of solid waste. The dumping is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $50,000 for each offense. A person could be charged with a felony if the cleanup costs more than $1,500.

Anyone reporting illegal activity is eligible for 50 percent of the fines collected.

The building at 2143 Palolo Ave. is owned by a group of investors who bought the property last August. The majority owner is Carlton Kusunoki .

Kusunoki said the laundry business was owned by Evelyn Maeshiro, who was evicted after not paying the rent for about six months. Maeshiro could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Kusunoki said he is aware of the situation but said he is not responsible for removing the machines. "We didn't put them there," he said. "We didn't tell them to do that."

Kusunoki said he is renovating the property and a new tenant will move in once the work is completed.

Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator, said the property owners and Maeshiro have been contacted about removing the machines.

Jones said commercial washing machines cannot be left for bulky item pickup. She was not sure if the machines total the 10 cubic yards needed for a felony charge.

"The people running the Laundromat have been told a number of times that they are responsible for removing the appliances," Jones said. "They have got to remove these appliances in a day or two. If they don't, we will forward this over to the city Department of Planning and Permitting, and the property will be cited."

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