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Posted: Friday, October 5th, 2012 9:05 AM HST

Oahu fireworks blast defendants plead not guilty

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — Two men indicted over last year's deadly fireworks explosion at an Oahu bunker are pleading not guilty. The two men and their employer, Donaldson Enterprises Inc., are accused of treating hazardous wastes without a permit. Director of operations Charles Donaldson and project manager Carlton Finley entered their pleas Thursday. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports an attorney for Donaldson Enterprises entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the company. KITV (http://ow.ly/eeNMI ) reports Charles Donaldson says the explosion and the resulting deaths are a terrible, tragic event. He says it was an accident and nothing leading up to the explosion was criminal. The April 2011 blast in Waikele killed five Donaldson employees.