Public Comments and Responses to the IRSWMP (Appendix I) - 2009

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Rapid advances in conversion technologies are occurring world wide, including in Europe and other countries that have adopted many zero waste programs. The SWD believes it is prudent to investigate periodically the progress of those technologies to see if one eventually becomes appropriate for implementing in the County, thus significantly reducing or eliminating the use of landfills for that portion of the waste materials that cannot be cost - effectively reduced, reused, or recycled. 21. Jesse Law, Sustainable Island Products "I have one additional comment. One thing that I don't think hasn't been investigated is the cost to the County of shipping and whether or not something should be negotiated with the shippers that take these recyclables and /or bale and barge trash products out of Hawai i. That goes to your reduction on source, which is all of this waste that's our problem is coming from somewhere, so if we interrupt where it's coming from first, and reduce the costs of how it's going back for recycling, I think everyone's paying a 30% unregulated tax on every product they consume in Hawaii that comes in from the mainland as a percentage of cost on that product from shipping 20 -30% on average, probably. So just something to note that if Matson is sending containers empty back to the mainland, why are they still charging so much, and what percentage of that cost is being incurred by the taxpayer to move product back to the mainland? I think it's still in the 2,500 to 3,000 dollar range per container, which seems still too high, if you're looking at the fact that they're going to take them back empty anyway, if we don't send something back." Response: It would be great if such a rate could be negotiated. Absent legislation (that would probably be subject to legal challenge under the Interstate Commerce Act), the price charged for shipping containers of recyclables and other materials from the County to the Mainland is the result of private market conditions and contracts. If the price gets too high, eventually another shipping company could offer a lower rate and win that business. Until such a time, it is difficult to see how such lower rates might be obtained. 22. Steven Araujo "I was wondering, was there any air quality tests done at Hilo Landfill to determine how much methane is coming out of the landfill? I mean this whole thing has been all on global warming, pollution, and all of that, so I was wondering if any air quality tests have been done? And I was also wondering, was there any kind of comparison done between the amount of pollution created by recycling, starting from the home - consumer driving to the recycle center, to the actual recycling of the product when it reached back to its original form at its distributer. Have you compared the air quality from Hilo Landfill to that? That would be a very interesting comparison. Thank you." Response: If we understand the question correctly, you are interested in landfill gases. As required by state and federal regulations, the SWD does test for potential migration of landfill gases through soil and around on -site structures. The SHSL is equipped with six soil -pore gas monitoring probes that have been constructed around the perimeter of the landfill, which are monitored four times per year. It also monitors around structures quarterly. To date, no measurable concentrations of methane have been identified in the soil -pore gas monitoring probes or in the vicinity of any onsite structures. Appendix G of the IRSWMP update reports on an evaluation of various residuals management options. Exhibit 4 (objective 2A) reports estimates of the greenhouse gasses produced by various options (reported as CO2 equivalents). Analysis done in preparing these estimates (not shown in the PUBLIC COMMENTS AND RESPONSES APPENDIX IDOC 13