2020-07-22 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Pequeño asked what the address of the county property is with the abandoned vehicles, and Mr. Warren said it is 95-1206 Milo Road. It is across the street from the house that had the supposed 70-gallon sewer spill. Some of the dumped cars have wheels on the pavement. The Traffic Division and Building Division are well aware but are unable to do anything about it. Chair Pequeño said he would see what he could do to address this. Cory Harden: She just wanted to ask if the commission could have their meetings on a day other than a County Council day, as she also likes to testify at those meetings, but she cannot be at both. Chair Pequeño said the dates are predetermined and in place for the year, and they may have to go through a rule change for that. However, he plans on having a few special meetings through the remainder of the year to make up for lost time and to deal with the severity of the issues before them. Richard Bennett: He thanked the commissioners for stepping up and working on the challenges. He is speaking for the Kona Coast Waterkeeper and provided a 4-page letter with his testimony. The Kona Waterkeeper’s objective and goal is to advocate and promote the full reuse of wastewater from fundamentally all sources. He recommends that 100% reuse be the policy goal for the county, rather than an odd mix of reuse and disposal. The first challenge is to improve the quality of the raw sewer water, which has infiltration problems. The infiltration problem can become so large that it will be a very significant impediment to reuse in the near future. The county can have a 100% reuse system provided there is adequate storage for water. To spend millions of dollars to discharge seems folly at best. Dr. Bennett described the multiple benefits of reuse and proposed the EMC seriously consider a policy recommendation for the county to strive for 100% reuse where it is appropriate. At the last meeting there was confusion about regulations. The State DOH regulations in Hawaiʻi Administra?ve Rules Sec?on 11-62-27 are clear. If you have a 100% reuse system, there is no requirement for a 100% back-up disposal system. There is a requirement for an adequate storage and/or disposal system. Regarding the Supreme Court’s decision and the director’s statements at the last meeting on the seven criteria the court handed down for consideration, it is his understanding that the distinction of those criteria is in the hands of the federal district court, not the EPA or State DOH, and that the plaintiffs and defendant have had gone through arbitration and reached a stalemate. This matter could take years and years. It appears the oil and gas interests are resisting settlement. He provided more detail about the seven criteria and how they apply to the situation in Kona and to the sump at Kealakehe. In summary, the criteria could be argued for decades. He implored them to do their constitutional duty and make 3