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EPA orders owner and operator of Hakimo property to clean up hazardous substances Location was subject of search warrant in May

Release Date: 09/30/2008
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, [email protected]

(09/30/08) HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the owner and operator of a property on Hakimo Road in Leeward Oahu to clean up and remove hazardous substances found during a recent search done on the property.

The order requires the owner and operator to perform specific work under the direction of the EPA and to comply with all requirements of the order until the EPA concludes cleanup is complete.

“We are taking immediate action to get the contamination and hazards cleaned up to prevent any further risk to residents and the environment,” said Wayne Nastri, regional administrator of the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Situations such as this need quick attention to stop additional waste from being brought to the site and make sure that waste is properly disposed.”

The owner and operator must restrict access to the property and not allow any materials, equipment, or any other personal property to be removed from or brought to the site without prior EPA approval. The order calls for an EPA approved work plan for the removal of hazardous substances from the site. The plan needs to specifically address the following:

* Assess all surface soils for contamination associated with operations at the site including metals recycling, vehicle and car battery recycling and sand blasting;
* Assess all subsurface soils for the presence of buried containers and remove containers if required;
* Remove and dispose of any soils characterized above regulatory limits;
* Remove and dispose of any waste oils, grease, paints, solvents or hazardous waste;

When work is completed, the parties must provide the EPA with copies of all documentation related to disposal or other disposition of wastes found on the site. All of the waste will be disposed of, or if possible recycled, according to the EPA’s regulations.

During a May 2008, inspection and response action, EPA investigators found numerous containers of waste oil, paints, solvents and greases abandoned throughout the property. The waste oil, paints, solvents and greases found at the site were characterized as hazardous and because these containers were uncontrolled and presented a threat of release, the EPA disposed of them soon after discovery

Numerous lead acid batteries were also stored on the property. Lead acid batteries contain sulfuric acid, a hazardous substance. Lead taken from the batteries was also discovered and the soil around the battery storage area was found to contain very high levels of lead. Additionally, there were numerous open burn pits on the site. At the burn pit near a stream located next to the property, concentrations of chromium and arsenic were found to exceed EPA cleanup standards

For information on hazardous waste, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/hazwaste.htm
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