Two Honolulu businessmen have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of illegal storage and transportation of toxic chemicals.

Named as defendants in the five-count indictment are Jerome "Jerry" Anches, president of Martin Warehousing and Distribution, and Stephen Swift, an officer of Resource Recovery Limited Inc.

The indictment alleges that the men improperly stored and transported 55-gallon drums that contained hazardous levels of tetrachloroethylene, a chemical compound commonly used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exposure to high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene "can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death."

After a 55-gallon drum of the chemical was punctured and spilled in August 2001 at Martin Warehousing's facility on Mikole Street on Sand Island, the hazardous waste was properly cleaned up and placed in drums for disposal, according to the indictment.

But Anches, after being told disposal would cost more than $16,000, improperly kept the drums in a Matson container at the warehouse until 2005, the government alleged.

When the Mikole Street property was to be sold, Anches hired Swift to remove and dispose of the drums, the indictment charged.

Swift allegedly moved the Matson container to the street outside his company's offices on Ho'one'e Place in Kalihi Kai and later to property he "owned or controlled" in Wai'anae Valley, the indictment alleged.

When state Health Department personnel asked Swift in January of this year if the Matson container contained tetrachloroethylene, he told them the container held only "damaged freight," the indictment alleged.

The material was removed in May of this year, according to the government.

Anches' lawyer, William Harrison, could not be reached, and attempts to contact Swift for comment were unsuccessful.