Hawaii Fines Company for Improper Vehicle Storage

The latest violations bring the total number of fines issued this year to more than $3 million from seven individuals and companies.

Companies, and or individuals fined by the state Department of Health, are the following: Karla Rudell, $54,848, for operating a junkyard without a permit and dumping solid waste in a lava tube; ABC Auto Parts, $24,240, piling unprocessed vehicles on unprotected land; and Wallace Beck, $19,800, operating a junkyard without a permit

"We have been trying to be more aggressive in enforcing these types of violations," said Health Department representative Janice Okubo, who noted the state has also issued numerous warnings without a fine.

"Our concern is the possible detrimental environmental impact it could have on the public," Health Department environmental engineer Lene Ichinotsubo said. "The improper disposal of solid waste could contaminate the water and soil."

On the other side of the island, the state issued Hilo resident Wallace Beck the same instructions and fined him $19,800 for operating a junkyard without a permit.

"Without a permit, we can't regulate them to make sure they are not putting the public in danger," Ichinotsubo said.

Beck could not be reached for comment.

In November the Health Department found 130 derelict vehicles on his property, leased as agricultural property from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

On Oahu, Pearl City's ABC Auto Parts was fined $24,240 after the Department of Health found about 1,000 vehicles containing potentially hazardous fluids stacked on an unprotected surface at its lot on March 29.

"We're concerned that when they are compressing them and using a forklift to stack and move these unprocessed cars, they could puncture a hole and leak these fluids," Ichinotsubo said.

The Department of Health found about 1,000 vehicles containing potentially hazardous fluids stacked on an unprotected surface at this lot.

The company's solid-waste management permit requires them to drain vehicles of fluids before piling them.

"We didn't know that these problems existed, but we're working with the state to fix it," company owner Sun Jae Yu said.

Yu said she thought the fine was an absurd amount, and promised to appeal.

An inspection in early October found 800 unprocessed or partially processed vehicles stacked on the same lot. The state issued a warning letter later that month.

The largest fines issued this year are nearly $2.8 million to the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill in February and a $93,410 fine to Pacific Waste Services Inc., also known as GMI, issued last week. Star Bulletin (Hawaii)