The state Department of Health has cited Maui sugar plantation Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. for violating clean-air rules more than 400 times and assessed a $1.3 million penalty against the company.
The violations announced Tuesday by DOH against Hawaii’s last sugar plantation occurred from 2009 to 2013 at the HC&S sugar mill in Puunene.
Most of the 414 violations involve excess emissions from the mill and the operation of emission-control equipment.
The violation notices also indicate that HC&S in many instances failed to notify DOH about deviations from emission standards in a timely manner.
Though the violations are serious, DOH said emissions did not exceed levels protecting public health based on the agency’s continuous air quality monitoring in the area.
"There is no indication that any of the emissions resulted in any health impact," said Nolan Hirai, manager of DOH’s Clean Air Branch.
HC&S issued a statement that acknowledged challenges with operating the sugar mill and deviations from required air pollution control procedures. However, the company disagreed with the number of alleged violations and said it intends to contest what it called an "excessive" administrative penalty.
The company, a subsidiary of Honolulu-based Alexander & Baldwin Inc., has 20 days to formally request a hearing to contest the alleged violations.
"These violations were unintentional, and the result of operating a very complex milling operation, and we regret that they occurred," Rick Volner, HC&S general manager, said in a statement. "Operation of sugar mill boilers is extremely challenging, particularly when combusting sugar cane fiber (bagasse), which has varying degrees of moisture content."
Violations outlined in the DOH notice include mechanical failures, operator errors and other problems. Many of the violations lasted just a few minutes, though in some cases they lasted hours or days.
In once instance, burning wet bagasse produced heavier-than-allowed smoke for five minutes, and a problem with a dust collector did the same for 10 minutes in another instance.
Many violations stemmed from not sending enough water through "scrubber" machinery intended to prevent particles from being released into the air. In one instance, such a problem lasted 39 days before an improper setting was discovered, the violation notice said.
All the violations were based on semiannual or individual incident reports HC&S submitted to DOH. Hirai said semiannual reports with long periods of excessive emissions led the department to more closely review reports going back several years.
The penalty sought by DOH is not a record for the Clean Air Branch. In 2001 the agency slapped HC&S with a $1.9 million penalty that the company contested and settled for $365,000. In 2002 the agency imposed a $1.5 million fine on Maui Electric Co. that was settled for $780,000.
Volner said HC&S intends to meet with DOH as soon as possible to resolve the matter, and that the company already has implemented corrective actions at the mill after a comprehensive review of its air permit compliance program.
"For over a century, HC&S has placed the highest priority on complying with all environmental regulations applicable to its operations," Volner said in the statement.
HC&S dates back to 1870 and is Hawaii’s last sugar plantation. The company cultivates 36,000 acres for sugar production, generates excess electricity to supply 5 percent of Maui’s power and is one of the largest job providers on the island with about 800 employees.
The company in recent years has been a significant profit source for A&B, producing operating profits of $10.7 million last year, $20.8 million in 2012 and $22.2 million in 2011.
