StarBulletin.com

Waste mismanagement


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POSTED: Friday, May 07, 2010

A Seattle-based firm that planned to ship hundreds of tons of the city's trash to the Pacific Northwest has been fined $40,400 by the state for illegally storing waste.

The state wants Hawaiian Waste Systems LLC to remove 100 tons of solid waste in 250 shipping containers at two parcels at Campbell Industrial Park, said Steve Chang, program manager with the state Health Department's solid-waste branch.

Chang said yesterday the firm has been storing the trash at the two sites without permits. He said the business' new president, Michael Chutz, has told him that the company is working toward getting U.S. Department of Agriculture approval to put the waste at the Roosevelt landfill in southwestern Washington.

But Chang said no shipping date has been set, and federal officials want to make sure there is no chance the trash would bring with it other pests from Hawaii, including fruit flies.

Hawaiian Waste Systems was receiving solid waste from the city until several weeks ago, when it asked for trash delivery to be halted, city spokesman Bill Brennan said.

“;I think they didn't have room to accommodate more, and they weren't shipping it out,”; Brennan said.

Brennan said the trash at Campbell Industrial Park is no longer the city's trash.

He said the city has not paid anything to Hawaiian Waste Systems because the agreement is for the business to send the trash off island.

“;They would only collect payment if they put it in a landfill somewhere else,”; Brennan said. “;They haven't done that so we haven't paid anything.”;

In September the business reached an agreement with the city to temporarily ship up to 100,000 tons of solid waste off island each year at a cost to the city of $100 a ton.

The trash has been baled and shrink-wrapped in containers.

The firm has undergone a change in management with its former president, Jim Hodge, replaced by Chutz in March.

Since October the business has stored wrapped waste bales at its permitted facility at 91-236 Oihana St. and began expanding its trash storage to two un-permitted nearby sites.

Chang said Hawaiian Waste Systems initially had some solid waste at Kalaeloa Harbor awaiting shipment, but because of the costs, it moved that trash to the Campbell Industrial Park sites.

Chang said the state wants the company to remove all containerized waste bales at two sites.

He said Hawaiian Waste Systems will have an opportunity to have a hearing before paying the fine.

Chutz did not return Star-Bulletin telephone calls requesting comment.