Hasegawa General Store Inc. has been assessed a $400 administrative penalty for late payments and being delinquent in filing a semiannual report as a beverage distributor under Hawaii’s deposit beverage container program law.
The state Department of Health issued a notice of violation and order against the Hana store for failing to submit a report for the period of Jan. 1 to June 30, according to an announcement Wednesday from the department.
Hawaii law requires beverage distributors to submit semiannual distributor reports and payments to the Health Department.
“Hasegawa General Store Inc. received multiple warning letters reminding them of reporting requirements prior to being assessed a penalty,” the department said.
The store may request a hearing to contest the alleged facts and penalty.
Darren Park, head of the Health Department’s Office of Solid Waste Management, oversees the state’s HI-5 program.
The store’s report and HI-5 payment (6.5 cents per container) for the period of Jan. 1 to June 30 were due July 16, but Hasegawa General Store did not submit its paperwork and payment until Aug. 20 – 36 days late, Park said.
The store paid $607.10 for 9,340 beverages sold in the first half of this year, Park said. The notice of violation was received Monday.
“It was an oversight,” said Hasegawa General Store Manager Neil Hasegawa. “We are in negotiations to reduce the penalty.”
Park said he also believed the delinquent paperwork and payment were an oversight.
So far, the state’s HI-5 program has recycled more than 5 billion containers, the department said. Consumers recycle as many beverage containers as possible to prevent them from ending up in landfills or as litter. As an incentive, the Hawaii deposit beverage container program places a 5-cent redeemable deposit on each beverage container. Consumers get back their 5 cents per container when they return them to a redemption center.
Beverage distributors are required to pay the state 6.5 cents per container, he said. The 5 cents covers the repayment of money to consumers, and 1.5 cents pays for the costs of recyclers, including transportation and shipping, he said.
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