EPA Fines Destination Maui $5,000 for Lead-Paint Disclosure Violations

Bill Cresenzo
Reporter- Pacific Business News

Property management firm Destination Maul Inc. must spend nearly $50,000 to pay for lead exposure testing on 350 children and for blood lead analysis equipment for three health clinics under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials said Wednesday.

The EPA said that Destination Maui failed to tell its tenants about the possible presence of lead-based paint, which was banned in 1978, at eight of its Maui properties in Kahului, Kihei, Wailuku, Lahaina, Makawao, Kula, and Haiku.

The company will pay a fine of $5,500 and will spend $49,500 to pay for the testing, as well as for the the testing equipment for three health clinics operated by Malama I Ke Ola Health Center on Maui, which serve low-income families.

The testing will take place over the next three years and target uninsured children under 6 years old, the EPA said.
Lead can cause learning disabilities, the EPA said. Property owners and managers are required to inform tenants if their living spaces contain lead-based paint.

Destination Maui was founded in 1974 and manages 30 community associations, according to its website. The company has 18 employees.

Destination Maui's president, Ron Kawahara, could not be reached for comment.
Bill Cresenzo covers residential real estate and transportation issues for Pacific Business News.