Posted at 6:40 p.m., Monday, October 8, 2007
Contractor to clean up its illegal dumping in Kipapa
Advertiser Staff
A Pearl City landscaping company has agreed to remove tree cuttings it illegally dumped along the H-2 Freeway near the Kipapa Gulch bridge, according to the state Department of Transportation.DOT spokesman Scott Ishikawa confirmed today Imua Landscaping Co., which was contracted to cut and remove albizzia trees along the highway, admitted it disposed of tree stumps and branches at a site between Mililani and Waipi'o and will begin cleaning it up this week.
Imua told DOT officials the improper disposal of cuttings was due "to a misunderstanding" although what the misunderstanding was is unclear since the contract stated Imua was responsible for mulching the cuttings for recycling or taking it to the landfill, Ishikawa said.
"(DOT) made it clear they have to clean it up," Ishikawa said. The state has not yet determined if the company will be fined, added Iashikawa.
Carroll Cox of EnviroWatch Inc. brought the dump-site issue to the public's attention last week. The dumping posed potential fire, flooding and other environmental dangers, Cox said.
An inspection of the site today revealed other cuttings that were not from albizzia job which Imua did, Ishikawa said. Imua, however, has agreed to remove all the cuttings.
The state was able to identify the albizzia trees cut by Imua because they were marked with orange spray paint, Ishikawa said.
