The Hawai‘i Department of Health has taken a firm stance against two entities, ABC Towing & Parts, LLC and JH Hawaii Property, LLC, implicated in environmental negligence. According to a recent Department of Health announcement, these businesses have been hit with a Notice of Violation and Order (NOVO) for illegally discharging polluted water into Waiawa Stream on O‘ahu and failing to possess necessary permitting for such actions.
The NOVO carries with it a significant financial penalty, reaching $55,000, and demands that the companies not only cease unpermitted discharges but also formally apply for the proper stormwater discharge permits. These permits are a requirement under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, a regulatory measure that holds industrial facilities accountable prior to beginning any form of discharge.
Enforcement of these regulations aims to level the playing field among industrial players. The Department of Health's strict approach ensures that all businesses invest in environmental protection rather than gain an unfair advantage through noncompliance. In this specific case, both the company operating the facility and the property owner hosting the business are held responsible for the violation.
Water pollution controls are key to safeguarding not just the environment but public health as well. The Clean Water Branch (CWB) of the Department of Health is responsible for overseeing these protections. When the laws they enforce are ignored, infracting parties face not only hefty fines—which can ascend to $60,000 per day, per infraction—but also, potentially, additional legal challenges from various levels of government and the public.
For those wishing to learn more about the particulars of the enforcement action, the full NOVO document has been made accessible online through the Department of Health's website, offering a deeper dive into the specifics of this environmental compliance breach and the consequences that follow for ABC Towing & Parts, LLC and JH Hawaii Property, LLC.
