The University of Hawaii will spend about $1.2 million to improve its hazardous waste handling and monitoring systems in a settlement with federal and state authorities for hazardous waste violations. UH settles hazardous-waste-
violations caseThe university will spend $1.2 million
to improve its systemsBy Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.comThe university was penalized $1.7 million two years ago by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Health for improper storage of hazardous chemicals and explosives uncovered in 1997 at facilities in Manoa, Kauai and Hilo.
The university paid a cash penalty of $505,000 and proposed spending the remaining $1.2 million on environmental projects.
The EPA and DOH today announced approval of the proposed projects, some of which already started, said Grace Simmons, supervisor of the DOH's hazardous waste section.
Dean Higuchi, EPA Pacific spokesman, said the projects will create a system of pollution prevention. He said the UH projects "look to be some innovative things that can be passed on to a wider audience."
For example, the Manoa campus and four community colleges will spend $110,000 to improve paint spray techniques and reduce solvents, waste and air emissions in auto body repair classes, he noted.
The new techniques -- expected to cut air pollution by 30 percent and paint use by 25 percent -- will be passed on to the auto body industry, Higuchi said.
The university spent $288,000 to identify projects to prevent pollution and minimize waste through its system and performed a compliance audit of its facilities.
The biggest project involves spending about $502,000 to convert chemistry experiments from macroscale to microscale at UH-Manoa and Hilo and community colleges, resulting in less waste and student exposure and fewer chemical purchases.
Other projects include:
>> Converting the Honolulu Community College print shop to a digital printing system, costing $207,000, to eliminate nearly all printing-related wastes.
>> Spending $47,000 to remove and replace mercury-containing equipment to reduce the potential for mercury spills.
A coordinator will be hired to oversee all the projects and test alternative methods for genetic experiments.
"We're happy with the projects we ended up with," said Roy Takekawa, UH director of environmental health and safety.
Jeff Scott, director of hazardous waste programs in the Pacific Southwest, said the projects "will make the university a model for reducing pollution and waste."
University of Hawaii
