2024-09-02 Rebecca Melendez Testimony -1

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5) “The overwhelming plastic waste Hawaii visitors leave behind By Natasha BourlinAug 24, 2023 Hawaii saw more than 9 million visitors last year. Those tourists’ first stops are often big-box and convenience stores, where they buy bottled water, plastic sand toys, single-use bodyboards, noodles, floaties and inner tubes for their trips.” https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/plastic-waste-hawaii-visitors-leave-behind- 18286076.php 6) “A county commission drafts ordinance aiming to ban recyclables at West Hawai‘i landfill By Megan Moseley September 6, 2023 · 1:00 AM HST * Updated September 6, 2023 · 2:02 PM Hawai‘i County’s Environmental Management Commission is developing an ordinance that aims to prohibit the amount of recyclable materials ending up in the island’s only working landfill.” https://bigislandnow.com/2023/09/06/new-draft-ordinance-aims-to-ban-recyclables-at-west-hawaii- landfill/ 7) ” Hawai‘i County issues mandatory 25% water restriction for North Kona August 7, 2023 · 5:21 PM HST A mandatory 25% water restriction has been issued for various communities in North Kona due to the failure of the Honokhau Deepwell over the weekend.” https://bigislandnow.com/2023/08/07/hawaii-county-issues- mandatory-25-water-restriction-for-north-kona/ 8) “Hawaii Water Supply Closely Monitored As Severe Drought Continues by Big Island Video Newson Nov 6, 2023 at 3:28 pm STORY SUMMARY HAWAII COUNTY - Officials say a special focus will be placed on the South Kohala Water System, which is more susceptible to drought conditions.” https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2023/11/06/water-supply-closely- monitored-as-hawai%CA%BBi-under-severe-drought/ 9) “Big Island Concerns About Water Quality Prompt A Lawsuit Over A Kona Sewage Plant Kealakehe sewage plant discharges more than 1 million gallons of wastewater into a lava pit near the ocean. By Paula Dobbyn / February 6, 2024 Settlement talks are scheduled in an environmental lawsuit involving a county-operated Big Island sewage plant in Kona.” https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/02/concerns-about-water-quality-prompt-a-lawsuit-over-a-kona- sewage-plant/ 10) “Researchers find sewage from an oceanfront Big Island community reaches nearshore waters Hawaii Public Radio | By Russell Subiono, Sophia McCullough Published December 20, 2021 at 5:56 PM HST There are nearly 50,000 cesspools on the Big Island, with tens of thousands posing a risk to water resources, according to the Hawaii Department of Health.” https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2021-12- 20/researchers-find-sewage-from-an-oceanfront-big-island-community-reaches-nearshore-waters 11) ”Kona coast faces stark wastewater tradeoffs Current situation There are approximately 88,000 cesspools across the state, releasing more than 200,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day to the environment. https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2021/09/10/kona-stark-wastewater- tradeoffs/ We ask that you start figuring out how this can never happen again? These are the kind of issues that need to be resolved before you approve more development. 12) "BIG ISLAND NEWS HECO restores power after initiating emergency outages on Big Island by: Elizabeth 'Ufi Posted: Jan 30, 2024 / 09:43 AM HST Updated: Jan 30, 2024 / 04:15 PM HST