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EPA requires Roberts Hawaii and Love’s Bakery Inc. to correct violations to protect emergency responders, public

Release Date: 09/14/2009
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov

Companies fail to provide annual chemical inventories to local emergency responders

(09/14/09) SAN FRANCISCO –In two separate actions today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settled with Roberts Hawaii and Love’s Bakery Inc., for failing to submit complete annual chemical inventories, a violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

In addition to correcting the violations, Roberts Hawaii, a bus and tour services company, will pay three $2,000 penalties for its Hawaii facilities located in Honolulu, Kailua and Keaau. Love’s Bakery, located in Honolulu, will also pay a $2,000 penalty and will also correct the violation.

“Both Roberts Hawaii and Love’s Bakery violated laws that protect and inform communities near facilities that use hazardous substances and other chemicals,” said Daniel Meer, the EPA’s assistant Superfund director for the Pacific Southwest region. “We will take action against any company that fails to follow these laws that protect emergency responders and the public in the event of an accidental release.”

Both companies failed to submit annual chemical inventory information to local emergency planners. The regulations require a company that stores at any one time during the year an OSHA hazardous chemical or an extremely hazardous substance at levels above reportable quantities, diesel in the case of Roberts Hawaii, and diesel and propane for Love’s Bakery, must submit yearly a listing of those chemicals.

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act requires all facilities using hazardous substances above specified quantities to provide annual chemical inventory information to local emergency planners for inclusion in the community emergency plan.

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