State fines dry
cleaner, chemical
firm over waste

Storing solvent sludge without
a permit brings Al Phillips
a $28,900 fine

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

The Health Department has fined two island companies for allegedly transporting and storing hazardous waste materials.

Both Associate Chemical & Supplies and Al Phillips the Cleaner deny the charges and have requested a hearing.

Phillips was fined $28,900 for storing tetrachloroethylene sludge without a permit, mismanagement of containers and failure to prepare a hazardous waste permit.

"We feel that it is unjustified," said Roy Miyamoto, Al Phillips director of finance.

Associate Chemical was fined $8,500 for transporting the waste tetrachloroethylene, a dry-cleaning solvent, from several Al Phillips locations to its Lagoon Drive facility.

Clinton Lee, Associate Chemical president, said he doesn't believe the Heath Department is correct. "We don't believe the matter is hazardous, and therefore we didn't need a manifest."

The Health Department maintains that a manifest is necessary whenever hazardous waste material is transported.

The manifest is used to track the movement of hazardous waste from its point of generation to its final destination.

The Health Department maintains that waste tetrachloroethylene sludge placed in 55-gallon drums was transported from six Al Phillips locations on Oahu and taken to the Al Phillips 515 Lagoon Drive facility, where they were stored. Al Phillips did not have a permit to store the hazardous waste material.

Tetrachloroethylene, or perchloroethylene, is a common solvent used for dry cleaning. Associate Chemical provides both solvents for Al Phillips.