Hawaii Establishes Incident Command for Molasses Spill

The Hawaii Department of Health has implemented an incident command system to further organize the response to the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor, Monday.
 

An incident command post has been established at the Clean Islands Council facility near Sand Island. The incident command is comprised of representatives from the Hawaii Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, Matson, Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The incident command has drafted and approved an incident action plan which outlines key objectives of the response and provides clear direction to all participants.

"The organization of all the federal, state and local agencies utilizing the incident command system is a major step in ensuring a single and focused effort to the issue at hand," said Keith Kawaoka, the incident commander. "Each agency has brought in its most experienced staff from around the country and I am confident they will work together to develop appropriate solutions to the problem."

The Incident Command System brings a common operating language to a multi-agency response for incidents that occurred. The Department of Health remains the lead agency for the state but works in close coordination and cooperation with all the state and federal agencies involved.

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (808) 842-5058 ext. 458, 459 or 460.