LIHU’E — The state Department of Health has reached an agreement with the county, which requires it to pay $22,500 for unauthorized dumping of construction debris at the Puhi Metals Recycling Facility. In 1998, without permission from the DOH, the
LIHU’E — The state Department of Health has reached an agreement with the
county, which requires it to pay $22,500 for unauthorized dumping of
construction debris at the Puhi Metals Recycling Facility.
In 1998, without
permission from the DOH, the county buried 216 cubic yards of materials at the
facility and used it as fill material in August of that year, said Patrick
Johnston, DOH public information officer.
The fill material included dirt,
rock, concrete rubble, green waste, tires, metal and plastics.
The DOH
began an investigation after it was alerted to the unauthorized dumping by a
resident, Johnston said.
The county told DOH that it was cheaper and more
convenient to dump the debris at the Puhi site rather than to dump it at the
Kekaha Landfill, Johnston said.
Under orders by DOH, the county had the
fill material removed in October 1988.
Wallace Rezentes Sr. ,
administrative assistant to Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, said “it is a dead
election-year issue” and declined to discuss it further.
As part of the
$22, 500 settlement, the county was required pay $10,000 toward DOH
operations, Johnston said.
The remaining $12,500 will be used:
* To
develop environmental educational material that addresses illegal dumping. The
material will be distributed to community groups and commercial contractors on
Kaua’i.
* To support the development of a recycling advocacy group.
To support the expansion of “Partnership for the Environment” group to
Kaua’i. Partnership is a business-oriented environmental educational
organization based on O’ahu.
* To support other environmental projects on
Kaua’i that are approved by DOH.
