Shipper fined for oil release HONOLULU (AP) — A South Korean shipping company has been ordered to pay a criminal penalty of $1.15 million for dumping oil into waters off Hawaii. ADVERTISING Federal prosecutors in Honolulu said Keoje Marine Co.
Shipper fined for oil release
HONOLULU (AP) — A South Korean shipping company has been ordered to pay a criminal penalty of $1.15 million for dumping oil into waters off Hawaii.
Federal prosecutors in Honolulu said Keoje Marine Co. Ltd. pleaded guilty to three felonies in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
The violations include dumping oil in the form of oily bilge waste, covering up the dumping by falsifying the oil record book of the ship Keoje Tiger, and obstructing justice during a U.S. Coast Guard inspection.
Two engineers from Keoje Tiger also pleaded guilty to some violations.
More than 20 percent of the fine will be used to protect and restore Hawaii’s coral reefs.
Prosecutors say crewmembers routinely discharged oil from March to October. The Coast Guard uncovered the practice after receiving a tip from a crewmember.
Oahu electricity rates decrease
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaiian Electric Co. says residential electric rates on Oahu fell in January for the first time in four months.
But the utility says fuel prices will keep rates high in the near term. HECO’s residential rate fell to 32.6 cents per kilowatt-hour this month from a record-high 35.1 cents last month.
At this rate, the typical bill for customers using 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month drops to about $204 from about $219.
HECO officials attributed the decline to the utility’s ability to generate more electricity from lower-cost power plants.
Leaf to head up defense institute
HONOLULU (AP) — The former number two at the U.S. Pacific Command has been selected to be the new director of a Defense Department academic institute in Waikiki.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel Leaf will take over at the helm of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies next Tuesday.
Leaf served as U.S. Pacific Command deputy commander from 2005 to 2008. He then retired after more than 33 years in the Air Force.
The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is in Fort DeRussy in Waikiki. Uniformed and civilian representatives of U.S. and Asia-Pacific nations attend classes and professional exchanges at the center.
UH is shutting downtown store
HONOLULU (AP) — The University of Hawaii’s official store is closing its downtown Honolulu location on Fort Street Mall.
The school said Tuesday Rainbowtique will mark down all merchandise by at least 30 percent “to bid aloha” to its customers. The store’s last day will be Jan. 31.
Rainbowtique will continue to sell Hawaii T-shirts, baseball caps and other items at four spots in Honolulu: Ward Centre, the Waikiki Beach Marriott and Spa, the Stan Sherriff Center, and the Manoa campus bookstore.
The school also has an online store.
Proceeds from Rainbowtique sales support the school’s educational mission.
