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<br /> July 21, 2004 <br /> <br /> The Honorable James Y. Arakaki and <br /> <br /> Members of the Hawaii County Council <br /> <br /> Page 2 <br /> liability for the County, and reduces the County's ability to efficiently operate and extend the <br /> life of its two landfills. <br /> We are requesting $125,721 to restore four positions that were cut in the preparation of <br /> our proposed budget. The original request was for two equipment operators, one in Hilo and <br /> one at Pu`uanahulu; and two landfill spotters, one in Hilo and one at Pu`uanahulu. An 18% <br /> increase in the refuse entering Pu`uanahulu since last year made it necessary for us to recently <br /> transfer one equipment operator and one spotter from Hilo to Pu`uanahulu, leaving serious <br /> Consent Agreement issues in Hilo, and putting the commitments we made to the State in our <br /> Corrective Action Plan (November 4, 2003) in jeopardy. Therefore, instead of the two <br /> positions for Hilo and two for Pu`uanahulu that were originally requested, we are now <br /> requesting four positions (two equipment operators and two landfill spotters) for Hilo, since <br /> two Hilo positions were already transferred to Pu`uanahulu. The cost breakdown for these <br /> positions is shown on the attached worksheet. <br /> Greenwaste <br /> Since the original budget request was submitted in October, 2003, the amount of refuse <br /> tonnage islandwide has increased about 14%, from 600 to 700 tons per day. We must increase <br /> recycling/diversion efforts to minimize the eventual hauling of waste to the Pu `uanahulu <br /> landfill. One important way to do this is to increase the diversion of greenwaste from the <br /> landfills. <br /> The Solid Waste Division estimates that it is currently capturing approximately two-thirds of <br /> the greenwaste entering the waste stream, and is mulching nearly 20,000 tons per year. We <br /> propose to increase this diversion rate by providing greenwaste collection centers at <br /> eight North and East Hawaii transfer stations at an estimated cost of $112,500. This <br /> program will allow us to divert another 2,500 tons, or 25% of the amount still going into the <br /> landfills. The cost for this program will be $40 to $50 per ton, which is about half the current <br /> cost to landfill this greenwaste. <br /> Pu`uanahulu Material Recovery Area <br /> As mentioned above, the amount of waste entering Pu`uanahulu has increased by 18% since <br /> last year. Part of the original plan for the Pu`uanahulu landfill was the development of a <br /> Material Recovery Area, and 32 acres for this purpose are provided under the landfill <br /> operating permit. This Material Recovery Area will be a major component of efforts to <br /> extend the life span of the last remaining permitted landfill in the County. This can provide a <br /> central location for resource recovery by private vendors. <br /> With the requested $125,000, (1) the site will be grubbed and graded; (2) plans and site <br /> layout design will be prepared for recovery efforts such as organics diversion, biodiesel <br /> production, and scrap metal processing; and (3) utilities to the site provided for private <br /> vendors. <br /> <br />