Hamakua plant cited for pollution violations

The Environmental Protection Agency has cited a Big Island company for clean-air violations at its power plant.

The EPA announced yesterday that Hamakua Energy Partners was failing to meet state and federal Clean Air Act permit requirements, including limits on emissions and monitoring. Hamakua is the largest power generator on the island and sells electricity to Hawaii Electric Light Co.

Hamakua owns a power plant in Haina that has two 23-megawatt combustion turbine generators. The facility was constructed in 1999 and is a major source of island air pollution.

Quarterly compliance reports submitted to the state Department of Health by the company identified instances from 2001 to 2003 where facility emissions exceeded nitrogen oxide levels in the permit. The reports also identified instances where the carbon monoxide monitoring and opacity monitoring systems failed to operate for both generators, the EPA said.

The facility could face fines, including $27,500 a day for each violation that occurred before March 2004 and $32,500 a day for each subsequent violation.