PD BACKGROUND REPORT (PL-SPP-2022-000012)

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Given the that the Project Site is absent of any archaeological features due to its intensively disturbed condition, it can also be reasonably concluded that native Hawaiian cultural practices are not being exercised within the Project Site. There are no caves, springs, pu`u, native forest groves or other natural features. Combined with the highly disturbed vegetation that is dominated by invasive, weedy species and secondary growth in most areas, the Project Site does not contain the quality of resources that would be important for native gathering. The EA concludes that, "While the gathering of natural resources from the Pana`ewa forest remains an important part of the cultural practices of this community, no explicit reference was made to such practices occurring in the actual area proposed for the quarry license, which has experienced extreme disturbance, is dominated by invasive trees, and other than isolated `ohi`a and hala trees does not contain other native trees or `awa. Because of the proposed location outside intact `ohi`a forest, it is not anticipated that the proposed quarry project will impact these cultural practices, based on the information obtained through the consultation efforts." 11. Public Access There is no record of a designated public access to the shoreline or mountain areas that traverses through the Project Site. E. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES 1. Access Access to the Project Site is provided by Hoolaulima Road, historically referred to as "Ammunition Dump Road". Hoolaulima Road is an extension of Leilani Street that also serves the County's Hilo Transfer Station, its sort station, greenwaste and other county- operated facilities within the immediate area (see Figure 2—Vicinity Map). Hoolaulima Road is County-maintained, two-lane road with a meandering pavement width of about 30 feet that ranges in condition from excellent to poor. The Applicant emphasizes that access between the Project Site and the its baseyard and processing facilities along Railroad Avenue, all quarry associated traffic will be accommodated solely by Hoolaulima Road, thereby keeping all traffic generally within the County's solid waste processing complexes and internal roadway network. Note that no State-owned highways will be accessed by any quarry-related vehicles, and therefore no adverse impact upon State-owned highway facilities is anticipated. During the early consultation period as part of the environmental assessment process, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) stated that once consolidation and resubdivision of certain properties in and around the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill is complete, the State will issue a new Executive Order to the County that will require that a new road lot be created and dedicated to the County of Hawaii, upon which all rock haulers must then be street legal. Once informed by the County, the Applicant will switch to street-legal tractor-trailers for rock hauling, which will double the number of vehicle trips between the quarry and Applicant's processing facilities due to its smaller size. 11 Page