STATE OFFICE TOWER TO REMAIN CLOSED FRIDAY FOLLOWING GAS LEAK

For Immediate Release:  August 13, 2009

HONOLULU – The Leiopapa State Office Tower will remain closed on Friday, Aug. 14 as a safety precaution following a gas leak this morning.  The building, which was still without electricity as of 4:15 p.m., will be checked in the morning and properly ventilated before determining if the building can be reopened in the afternoon.  Employees who work in the building should not report to work Friday morning, but should be prepared to report to work in the afternoon.  Their supervisors will call to alert them when the building will reopen. 
The departments and divisions in the State Office Tower include:

• Department of Human Resources Development
• Education and Employment Law Divisions, Attorney General’s Office
• Office of Planning, DBEDT
• State Energy Division, DBEDT
• Land Use Commission
• Campaign Spending Commission
• Office of Environmental Quality Control, Department of Health
• Women, Infants and Children, Department of Health
• Office of Consumer Protection, Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
• Regulated Industries Complaints Office, Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

The parking lot in the Leiopapa State Office Tower will be open on Friday as normally scheduled.

The Land Use Commission meeting on the proposed Ho‘opili development in West O‘ahu that was scheduled to take place on Friday, Aug. 14 in the State Office Tower has been cancelled. The meeting will be rescheduled for later this month.

Other state buildings that were closed today due to potential gas fumes and power being shut off will be opened tomorrow.  All state employees who work in these buildings should report to work in the morning.  The buildings are: No. 1 Capitol District (Hemmeter Building), Keoni Ana (Capital Center), State Archives and Washington Place. 

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For more information, contact:

Lenny Klompus  
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043