2006-01-AU Audit of the County of Hawai‘i's Recycling and Diversion Grants Program

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CHAPTERI BACKGROUND Introduction This limited scope performance audit of the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, Recycle and Diversion Grant Program was initiated at the request of the Hawaii County Council in Resolution No. 168 -05. Laws, Rules, and Plans Federal Solid Waste is regulated on the federal level under Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), chapter I, subchapter I, parts 239 to 299, which is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Office of Solid Waste. The EPA's goal for municipal solid waste management (MSW) contained in the Government Performance and Results Act provides: "By 2005, facilitate source reduction to reduce MSW generation to 4.3 lbs /person/day and facilitate increased recycling, including composting, to divert at least 35 percent of MSW from landfilling and combustion by 2005." State In 1991, the "Hawai`i Integrated Solid Waste Management Act" was enacted and codified in chapter 342G of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. The Act mandates that source reduction, recycling, and bioconversion be given the highest priority by the State and counties in designing and implementing their respective solid waste management plans and systems. FIRS §342G -2, "Solid waste management priorities," provides: "(a) This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the 'Hawai'i Integrated Solid Waste Management Act.' (b) In implementing this chapter, the department and each county shall consider the following solid waste management practices and processing methods in their order of priority: (1) Source reduction; (2) Recycling and bioconversion, including composting; and (3) Landfilling and incineration. The respective roles of landfilling and incineration shall be left to each county's discretion.