COM 0521.023 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Aaron S. Y. Chung and Finance Committee Members April 22, 2004 Page 2 3. Is the capacity of the proposed Sort Station large enough for our future WRT? Is it too large? Yes, it is large enough and no, it is not too large. The capacity of the Sort Station is matched to current tonnage, with about 40% surge capacity. The recycling areas are designed to be flexible and the transfer/re-load facility is designed to be expandable as necessary. In addition, the acreage available to the County adjacent to the existing landfill and encompassing the parcel currently used for the Hilo transfer station is 70 acres. It is anticipated that a WRT will require 5 to 10 acres. 4. Will our commitment to a Sort Station limit our WRT options? No. It enhances our options by providing a front end to recover materials not utilized in a particular WRT. At this time, there is no WRT that can handle all elements of a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream. A secondary benefit is it also serves as a replacement for our Hilo transfer station chutes, two of which are so dilapidated they will soon be inoperative and require expensive repairs. 5. Are there WRTs that do not require public investment in a Sort Station for East Hawaii? There may be companies providing WRTs that will be willing to put up the capital to construct a plant but such arrangements require long term contracts such that the vendor recoups costs and makes a profit over the contract term. We will pay for the WRT either upfront or through time. 6. Will the resources for the Sort Station be more effectively used by spending it directly into our WRT? No. The plan is clear that the Sort Station is the first priority for implementation with the waste reduction technology following. Also, the Council should be aware that delaying the construction and operation of the Sort Station will expedite the initiation of long hauling waste to West Hawaii and may result in massive closures to East Hawaii Transfer Stations due to the absence of the re-load facility. Closures of any rural Transfer Stations will likely result in illegal dumping. In addition, extending the life of the Hilo Landfill is not a given. It is doubtful that the Council intended any of these consequences upon suggesting to exclude all funding in the FY 04-05 Operating and CIP budgets associated with the proposed Sort Station. I would hope these outcomes are of great concern to all Council members. If you, or any Council member, would like to discuss any of the issues involved with this project more fully, please feel free to contact me at 961-8083 or Lono Tyson, Solid Waste Division Chief, at 961-8339. We are always happy to provide more information. cc: Harry Kim, Mayor Lono Tyson, SWD Chief