Posted at 10:54 a.m., Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Mauna Loa Macadamia facing $157,000 EPA fine
Advertiser Staff
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has filed a complaint against Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. on the Big Island for failing to close three large capacity cesspools by April 2005 and is proposing a penalty of up to $157,500.The federal agency announced the latest action this morning, saying such closures are needed to protect Hawaii's water resources. Alexis Strauss, director of the EPA's water division for the Pacific Southwest region, added: "While we continue to pursue violators, it is unfortunate that companies such as Mauna Loa require this level of oversight to fully comply with EPA's regulations," she said.
Mauna Loa, a subsidiary of the Hershey Company, owns and operates a macadamia nut processing plant and a visitor center. The EPA notified the company in July 2004 of the April 2005 deadline to close its large capacity cesspools. An EPA contractor inspected the facility in October 2005 and was told closure plans were being developed, the agency said.
In August 2006, the EPA inspected the facility again and found the three large capacity cesspools were still in use.
