Businesses fined over pollution violations

By ERIN MILLER

Stephens Media

Several Hawaii Island businesses have been fined by the Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch for violating air permit and pollution rules. The branch issued the citations between April and November 2012 for violations between March 2011 and May 2012.

DOH officials said the penalties are assessed “to remove any economic benefit they may have gained from their noncompliance and put them in a worse situation than those who comply with the law.”

Fines are paid into a revolving special fund used to prevent or minimize damage to the environment.

Big Island businesses fined were:

— Edwin Deluz Trucking and Gravel LLC, for failing to conduct the 2010 annual performance tests on its diesel engine generator and on its 750 TPH stone quarrying plant located at the Kapoaula Quarry in Hamakua. DOH officials discovered the violations during an annual inspection and imposed an $8,000 penalty. A consent order for $5,000 is being drafted for the fine after additional information was given to the DOH regarding the violations.

— Hawaii Electric Light Co. Inc. (HELCO), for exceeding the ammonia three-hour average emission limit in March 2011 on combustion turbine generator unit CT-4, as well as combustion turbine generator units CT-4 and CT-5 exceeding visible emission limits in April and November 2011. HELCO reported the violations and paid a $25,600 fine. DOH officials are drafting a consent order for another $8,000 fine.

— Koga Engineering & Construction Inc., for failing to submit the January to June 2011 semi-annual report within 60 days after the end of the semi-annual calendar period. The report was submitted 142 days late. Koga operates a 400 TPH powerscreen on the Big Island. It paid a $2,400 fine.

— Tradewinds Forest Products LLC, for late submittal of various reports required by its air permit. The company has a boiler and veneer dryer in Ookala and paid a $1,600 penalty.