State fines Navy over
handling of lead

The citation involves paint chips
removed from empty fuel tanks

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

The state Health Department has fined the Navy $217,640 because a contractor improperly removed lead-based paint last year from fuel storage tanks near Pearl Harbor.

Health Department inspectors notified the Navy in August that paint chips sandblasted from six empty tanks had lead levels that classified it as hazardous waste, said Steven Chang, Health Department chief of solid and hazardous waste.

The Navy and its subcontractor for the $19.5 million job, Robison-Prezioso Inc., were cited for four violations: treatment of hazardous waste without a permit, failure to properly mark containers, mismanagement of containers and storage of hazardous waste without a permit.

Chang said four of 25 "supersacks" of paint chips tested at a level that the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as hazardous -- more than 5 parts per million. Each supersack contained about 2,000 pounds of material blasted from the empty jet fuel tanks. Health Department inspectors also found a number of 55-gallon drums of paint chips.

"They knew they were working with lead-based paint and were required to do testing of the material, identify it as hazardous waste, label it and properly dispose of it," Chang said.

When informed of the violation, "the Navy took immediate actions to suspend the contractor's work," said a Navy statement. "The contractor was not allowed to resume work until the Navy was assured the work would be conducted properly in compliance with contract requirements."

The Navy said it expects the contractor to pay the full amount of the fine. Robison-Prezioso is subcontracted by Hawaiian Dredging Co. to do the work, which is to be completed in December.

Chang said there is no indication that lead escaped into the environment.