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HAWAIIAN AIRLINES VIOLATES EPA HAZARDOUS WASTE LAW

Release Date: 9/23/1999
Contact Information: Lois Grunwald, U.S. EPA, 415-744-1588

     Violations include operating a hazardous waste facility without a permit
 
     SAN FRANCISCO --The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it is seeking a $73,206 penalty from Hawaiian Airlines for hazardous waste violations at its Honolulu Airport facility on the island of Oahu.

      "Hazardous waste laws need to be taken seriously," said Julie Anderson, the EPA's regional Waste Division director. "The public's health and the health of our environment depend on it."
 
     Based on an EPA inspection earlier this year, EPA cited Hawaiian Airlines for operating a hazardous waste storage facility without a permit.  Other violations included inadequate oversight and management of hazardous wastes, including the inadvertent release of several gallons of methylene chloride and methyl ethyl ketone, both paint-related solvents.

     The EPA inspected the Hawaiian Airlines' facility in cooperation with the Hawaii Department of Health. Hawaiian Airlines violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs the storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste.