# HILO COAST PROCESSING CO.
> **Judicial** · FY1983 · — · Final Order With Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `52041`
- **Case Number:** 09-1983-0005
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** $35K
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- HILO COAST PROCESSING CO. (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

SYNOPSIS OF THE CASE                                            THIS PROPOSED ACTION CONCERNS CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLA-    TIONS BY THE HILO COAST PROCESSING COMPANY ( HCPC ) AT THE   PEPEEKEO SUGAR MILL, IN PEPEEKEO, ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII.   HCPC HAS VIOLATED CONDITIONS OF ITS NATIONAL POLLUTANT DIS-  CHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM ( NPDES ) PERMIT FOR SEVERAL       YEARS, AND EPA PROPOSES TO SEEK CIVIL PENALTIES FOR PAST     VIOLATIONS (WITHIN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS) AND AN IN-    JUNCTION TO PREVENT CONTINUING VIOLATIONS IN THE FUTURE.          HCPC PROCESSES RAW SUGAR CANE AT PEPEEKEO.  THE RAW     CANE COMES TO THE MILL COVERED WITH MUD AND DIRT FROM THE    HARVESTING PROCESS.  THIS MUD AND DIRT IS WASHED FROM THE    CANE, AND THE WASHWATER IS TREATED IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE    TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS DERIVED FROM THE MUD AND DIRT.        AFTER TREATMENT, THE WASHWATER IS DISCHARGED TO THE PACIFIC  OCEAN.                                                            HCPC'S TREATMENT SYSTEM CONSISTS MAINLY OF A SERIES OF  SETTLING PONDS:  AS THE WASHWATER PASSES THROUGH THE PONDS,  THE SOLIDS SETTLE OUT AND CLEARER WASHWATER IS DISCHARGED    TO THE OCEAN.  WHILE THIS SYSTEM WAS LESS EXPENSIVE TO IN-   STALL THAN OTHER SYSTEMS, IT IS EXPENSIVE TO OPERATE AND     MAINTAIN BECAUSE THE PONDS MUST BE CONSTANTLY CLEANED OUT    UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.  THE PRIMARY REASON FOR       HCPC'S PERMIT VIOLATIONS IS ITS FAILURE TO PROPERLY OPERATE  AND MAINTAIN THE PONDS.               

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · MORVS · CC0 1.0*