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

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Waimea, and Kailua -Kona, it will have unintended consequences in rural areas such as Kau, South Kona, and Puna. I have worked with this issue through community groups, your department, the police, county prosecutors, large, private landowners, and many others since 1996. At that time the pressing issue was dumping of white goods and green waste wherever and whenever there was an open area along the rural roads. It took many years, but now that the transfer stations have green and white goods dumping areas this problem has been greatly alleviated. There has also been a big increase in recycling for the same reason -it is convenient and free. However, local folks will draw the line at paying for household garbage dumping. If you look around the grocery stores you will find mostly mainland transplants who have grown up with garbage service and recycling using the cloth bags faithfully to prevent accumulating so much plastic. This is not yet a habit with enough people to expect that adding yet another kind of bag will be successful. Hauling household rubbish to "the dump' has been free for one hundred years. Most rural people will not be willing to pay for bags. I guarantee we will begin to again see roadside and backyard dumping, backyard incinerators, and this time it will be a public health hazard since this time it will include all manner of rotting food, small batteries and who knows what else. Until the actual cultural change occurs this will just be another excuse for scofflaws, however well intentioned your ideas. I urge extreme caution with implementing this. Bags should not cost anything. Bags should be available everywhere - grocery stores, transfer stations, Wal -Mart. Until everyone will commit to at least using the cloth bags for shopping, we will not see cooperation with pay -as -you- throw. Let's accomplish one cultural change at a time. Response: Please see the first paragraph of the response to comment 20 above. 31. Gregory P. Gauthier, 09/30/09 I sincerely appreciate your efforts in trying to fund our solid waste disposal here in Hawai i County. The September 30th addition of the West Hawaii Today discussed an apparent proposal to charge fees for filling a particular type of garbage bag that would be used to dump at our transfer stations. I vehemently disagree with that proposal and would like to explain why. • There will be an increase in roadside dumping of garbage, especially on rural roads. This in turn will affect quality of life issues for many residents and may likely increase the budget for the county roads division. • There will be a decrease in refuse disposal areas in public spaces owned by private entities, such as shopping malls. Those people who desire to throw away their rubbish while in their car during their normal course of business will likely find somewhere else to place that garbage. Those private entities who provide that particular amenity will be dissuaded from continuing to do so as it has become a cost issue. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND RESPONSES APPENDIX IDOC 17