Hawai'i Department Of Health Cites Companies For Air Pollution Violations

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma;  Allergy;  Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Article Date: 24 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Hawai'i State Department of Health (DOH) Clean Air Branch has issued Notices of Violations and Orders against Goodfellow Brothers, Inc., Tesoro Hawai'i Corporation, Earthworks Pacific, Inc., and Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc., for air pollution violations.

The DOH Clean Air Branch issues air permits and conducts complaint investigations to minimize air pollution impacts on the public. Through the permit and complaint investigation process, the DOH ensures continuing compliance with applicable state and federal emission standards. In general, penalties are assessed on violators and any economic benefit they may have gained from their noncompliance.

The following companies were cited:

1. Goodfellow Brothers, Inc., for late submittal of its semi-annual report form for January through June 2007 as required by their permit. The violation was discovered on January 30, 2008 during a records review of the 780 TPH stone processing plant located at 480 C Welakahao Road, Kihei, Maui; a penalty of $2,400 has been paid for the violation.

2. Tesoro Hawai'i Corporation, for failing to perform a sulfur dioxide test, specifically a relative accuracy test audit for their sulfur recovery unit tail gas incinerator sulfur dioxide continuous emissions monitoring system in the third quarter of 2007. The violation was discovered during a records review on February 8, 2008 of the oil refinery located at 91-325 Komohana Street, Kapolei, Oahu; a penalty of $2,300 has been paid for the violation.

3. Earthworks Pacific, Inc., for not taking reasonable precautions to prevent visible fugitive dust from becoming airborne at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort and Beach Club construction site located at 3610 Rice Street, Lihue, Kaua'i. The fugitive dust violations occurred on February 29 and March 31, 2008 and a penalty of $6,500 has been imposed. The DOH and Earthworks Pacific, Inc. will be entering into a consent order in the near future.

4. Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc., for late submittal of its semi-annual report form for July through December 2007 as required by their permit. The violation was discovered on March 28, 2008 during a records review of the plant's two 150 hp Cleaver-Brooks boilers located at 910 Sheridan Street, Honolulu, Oahu; a penalty of $2,400 has been paid for the violation.

Hawai'i State Department of Health