comscore Matson to plead guilty to molasses spill charges | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Top News

Matson to plead guilty to molasses spill charges

Honolulu Star-Advertiser logo
Unlimited access to premium stories for as low as $12.95 /mo.
Get It Now
  • GEORGE LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
    Crewmen from Sea Engineering Inc. and divers from AECOS Inc. prepared

A shipping company is pleading guilty to federal charges from a molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor.

Matson Terminals, Inc. is scheduled to enter a guilty plea Friday in federal court in Honolulu.

A spokesman says Matson Navigation Company Senior Vice President and General Counsel Peter Heilmann will be appearing at the hearing.

The misdemeanor charges are for illegally releasing about 1,400 tons molasses into the harbor last year. The spill killed more than 26,000 fish and other marine life.

The plea is part of an agreement that Matson pay penalties totaling $1 million. The penalties include money to support coral programs and invasive algae clean ups.

The company says it still faces potential civil claims by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state.

Comments have been disabled for this story...

Click here to see our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Submit your coronavirus news tip.

Be the first to know
Get web push notifications from Star-Advertiser when the next breaking story happens — it's FREE! You just need a supported web browser.
Subscribe for this feature

Scroll Up