honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:26 p.m., Sunday, July 6, 2008

Pearl Harbor shipyard cited for hazardous-waste violations

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility and its subcontractor, Hawai'i Marine Cleaning, have been cited for violations to the state's hazardous-waste rules, according to to the state Department of Health's notice of violation and order issued on Thursday.

The department found that Hawai'i Marine Cleaning stored more than 5,000 gallons of corrosive hazardous waste in 10 tanks on Bravo Pier 13. The storage of those waste requires a permit, which the company did not have. The pair was cited for three counts of storage of hazardous waste without a permit.

None of the 10 tanks were labeled and some had been stored just a few yards from the ocean and for more than nine days on the pier. The storage containers had high levels of heavy metals such as chromium and lead and were in easy access to vehicle traffic and U.S. Navy foot traffic, the health department said.

The shipyard and its subcontractor face a total penalty of $110,000 for the three instances of storage without a permit, which was investigated on Nov. 30, 2006. The shipyard and its subcontractor have been ordered to pay the penalties and comply with state hazardous-waste rules. They have 20 days from the date of the order to respond.