2019-11-27 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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Discussion was held on how a permit is necessary to recycle gray water at home and how it would require an engineering plan and cost thousands of dollars. Chair Bennett said he would make a list of ideas and circulate it. If the Council adopted the 2012 Uniform Plumbing Code, it would allow for graywater reuse, and the county could adopt it even if the state has not. He asked the commissioners to give the matter some thought so they can vote later on a written motion. Director Kucharski pointed out they were discussing a function of the Department of Public Works, not DEM, and Ms. Mellon-Lacey said it was quasi-related but going into a broader area than DEM’s functions. Commissioner Gaffney said it is related, because the state is requiring that all new construction use septic tanks instead of cesspools. However, research has determined that some septic systems are better than others. The Council should be provided with recommendations on how the septic systems being allowed can be improved upon. Chair Bennett added that in major cities across the country, cities are aggressively removing septic systems because they have failed to do what everybody thought they did. The General Plan update has wastewater impacts as part of the county planning process, and a little push-back against the state is their angle. He will make a bulleted list. He asked Vice Chair Olson if he would draft a motion encouraging the council to look at how septic systems can be improved, and he agreed. b. Presentation by Zero Waste Big Island on the County of Hawaiʻi’s Zero Waste Management Plan. Chair Bennett welcomed Jennifer Navarro, who introduced several of the club’s members who were present. Ms. Navarro said Zero Waste Big Island’s mission is to promote zero waste through personal responsibility, education, and advocacy. She presented a PowerPoint, and some of its highlights include: • Waste is a huge problem that is happening all over the world. • Plastic is both a blessing and a curse. It is very useful, but much of it cannot be recycled. • About 90% of the plastic created is not recycled, and many consumers do not realize this. A lot of it ends up in the ocean. • There is so much emphasis placed on recycling, but people should not forget about the reduce and reuse components. • The United States is waking up. Big corporations are making a shift away from a linear economy to a circular economy, where products are being made with an idea of how they might be reincorporated into something else. 6