2020-02-26 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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the past six years he has been the project manager for Kamehameha Schools. His background is not in science, but in education. He believes we are at a critical point in history where the human consumption and management of the world’s resources are having a profound impact on the climate, and this threatens our very existence. People across the world need to be more conscious about the choices they make as individuals, and large corporations and the wealthy need to be held accountable for the amount of resources they consume and the waste they produce. This is especially important for places like Hawaiʻi, where space is limited and the rise in sea level will be devastating. The County’s Department of Environmental Management has a crucial role in leading the government’s efforts towards becoming a zero waste community. It is in the best interest of commissioners to engage fellow community members in meaningful and purposeful ways so they can be informed and empowered. They need to be aware of the community’s heartbeat and of innovative technologies and ideas that support their mission. For 2020, he would like the commission to prioritize a couple of focus areas. The first is diversion. The amount of waste entering the landfill and the ocean must be reduced. The commissioners can use their knowledge and networks to bring forth ideas for solutions. The second focus area is engagement. He would like the commission to better engage with the County Council, the department, and the community, and he would like these entities to better engage with the commission. He asked the commissioners to make connections where possible and to make space for open and honest dialog. He thanked them for the opportunity to be chair and said he will do the best to keep meetings flowing and on track. 4. PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Chair Pequeño asked for a show of hands from the public on who wanted to testify now or wait until later, and most hands went up. Jerome Warren: Regarding the Nāālehu project, wʻhen he arrived back home after the January 22 meeting, there was a sewer spill across the street. County employees were working on the rotten pipes. He still does not know how many gallons were spilled or the cost of the repair. The house above him had raw sewage spilling out of the tub and toilet onto the floor, and it came from the houses above them. His side yard was torn up because that is where the pipe was plugged. The county knew the pipe was rotten from smoke tests done in 2004, and his neighborhood is crisscrossed with rotten sewer pipes. After the spill, the EPA called and scolded him because he keeps complaining. He told EPA Enforcement about the county not being in compliance with the timeline. They said they would call him back but never did. Councilmember David, Representative Creagan, and Senator Kanuha are also silent. Sanitation is a core service of the government, and the department is ignoring its primary duty. He will be leaving the meeting after public testimony because the commission does not use microphones and speakers. This tells him they are not concerned about the public. The presentation on the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan could be done on the Nā Leo television station so 2