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

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Public Meeting, Aupini Center Conference Room, Hilo, September 30, 2009 15. Bob Jacobson "I think that because of our financial problems and economic problems, we'd do much better by trying to ramp the programs up right now, and put our efforts into recycling and zero waste implementation. The sooner that we implement the zero waste program, the better. I think if you look at the zero waste Implementation Plan that you would see that there are a lot of jobs to be generated, and I think that by trying to do this now, sooner rather than later, would actually help the people here now and maybe we'd be able get more bang from our buck by doing it right now. So, we may not have lots of money to do it, but I think we need to find that money and start the zero waste program and implement it, because there's money for haulers, there's money for all of us to do this. I think there's ways to do it, and the prices of some of the materials are starting to rise now; scrap metals and paper are starting to go up. So I think this is the time we should do it sooner rather than later. Thank you." Response: Thank you for your comment supporting moving aggressively to implement zero waste programs. 16. James Weatherford "I think as a formal comment I should say that I'm speaking as a member of the community who has in the past found much to disagree with the County's policy in this area, but I have mostly a different attitude on this particular plan, and most of my comments are positive. A couple of general comments, is that the website has been very helpful and keeping up with it during the process, I think that's been very valuable, not only the website, it was actually the documents were posted and it was kept up to date and running, which is good. I think that the focus on the 5 -year implementation period gives the plan a real clear vision, maybe something that hasn't been available before:, there's two very broad, very strong points there I believe. "I was looking careful at the residuals management strategy which I think defines a lot of what comes out of here, and it looks like an overall balance that's very straight- forward. During the discussion of looking at trucking waste or the lateral expansion of the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill, as an economist also, I seem to be drawing out of that, and would suggest that it's a good idea that you're look at a cost - benefit analysis to compare those two. It didn't expressly say that but it seemed to be what you were getting at. You were going to do a feasibility and cost study on one, and then do another one and compare them. There certainly needs to be a side by side comparison there, I think. There are a couple of points that were introduced that I think were real basic and essential. I was very glad to see the concept of reducing the volume of waste entering the landfills, which is very fundamental and again, I think we haven't pushed that enough in the past... entering the landfills or doing anything else... and the Plan's proposed strategy of pursing zero waste and continue landfilling, those two core things are identified as being less costly than new technologies, and I think that was very good to focus on. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND RESPONSES APPENDIX IDOC 7