Department of Health fines Par Hawaiʻi for improper waste management

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has issued a notice of violation and order against Par Hawaiʻi Refining for violating the state’s hazardous waste management laws.

Par Hawaiʻi operates the only petroleum refinery in the state and distributes fuels through pipelines on Oʻahu and on barges to all major harbors in the state.

Par has been cited for the following:

• Illegal disposal of hazardous waste at a facility not permitted to dispose of hazardous waste;
• Failure to make a hazardous waste determination;
• Failure to use a uniform hazardous waste manifest for transportation of hazardous waste.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality provided information to the Department of Health from the receiving landfill located in Utah. The information indicated that Par shipped six drums of waste to the non-hazardous waste landfill as “Non-Department of Transportation Regulated (Neutralized Acid Solid)” and “Non-Department of Transportation Regulated (Acid Solid Residue).”

However, analytical test results later revealed that the waste was hazardous waste due to the toxicity of its chromium content.

The notice of violation and order alleges that Par failed to make a proper hazardous waste determination because it shipped the waste before receiving analytical results that showed it was a hazardous waste. The regulations require hazardous waste to be shipped using a uniform hazardous waste manifest to facilities permitted to properly treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste.

The notice of violation and order also alleges that Par failed to ship the waste using the correct manifest and failed to properly dispose of the waste at a permitted hazardous waste facility.

Par has been assessed a fine of $169,500 for the three violations. In addition to paying the penalty, Par has been ordered to undertake corrective actions, including but not limited to training its employees, to correct the violations.

Par has 20 days to respond to the order.

The Department of Health Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch promotes pollution prevention and waste minimization, develops partnerships with waste generators and the regulated community, guides the rehabilitation of contaminated lands and aggressively enforces environmental laws.

To protect Hawai‘i from pollutants that endanger people and the environment, the Department of Health regulates the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.