EPA fines Hawaiian Electric for Clean Water Act violations

Dec. 22, 2000
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today fined the Hawaiian Electric Company $200,000 for Clean Water Act and water discharge permit violations at the Honolulu and Waiau generating stations on Oahu, Hawaii that may have lead to the discharge of potentially toxic pollutants into the Honolulu and Pearl Harbors.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 21, 2000—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today fined the Hawaiian Electric Company $200,000 for Clean Water Act and water discharge permit violations at the Honolulu and Waiau generating stations on Oahu, Hawaii that may have lead to the discharge of potentially toxic pollutants into the Honolulu and Pearl Harbors.

HECO'S two generating stations are being fined for several violations stemming from a lack of adequate oversight controls over its wastewater discharges including failures to: perform required toxicity tests, properly calibrate meters, properly safeguard samples, report test results and conduct storm water inspections. All are violations of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and the Clean Water Act.

"Accurate self monitoring of runoff and wastewater discharges is essential to maintain healthy waters throughout Hawaii," said Alexis Strauss, U.S. EPA's water director for the Pacific Southwest. "Diligent oversight of the permit requirements by these facilities will minimize the amount of harmful pollutants discharged into the harbors."

Wastewater discharge permits require proper monitoring and self-reporting. If a facility does not rigorously manage its monitoring and sampling program there is zero confidence in the reported data and no way to adequately confirm that discharges are within permitted amounts that will not harm the environment.

A U.S. EPA inspector and Hawaii Department of Health staff inspected the two facilities in September 1999. Inspectors discovered a number of violations of their NPDES permit under the Clean Water Act. Although the authority for monitoring discharge permits is usually delegated to the states, the U.S. EPA occasionally conducts spot inspections. The Clean Water Act allows fines up to $27,500 per violation, per day. Hawaiian Electric has agreed to the penalty, and has revised its corporate procedures and is correcting the problems.

Sponsored Recommendations

ArmorBlock 5000: Boost Automation Efficiency

April 25, 2024
Discover the transformative benefits of leveraging a scalable On-Machine I/O to improve flexibility, enhance reliability and streamline operations.

Rising Cyber Threats and the Impact on Risk and Resiliency Operations

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

State of Smart Manufacturing Report Series

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

SmartSights WIN-911 Alarm Notification Software Enables Faster Response

March 15, 2024
Alarm notification software enables faster response for customers, keeping production on track