2012-07-25 Minutes Environmental Management Commission

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6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Commission Role and Strategic Plan discussion to include Sub - Committee Report on revision of Commission Goals — for Discussion and Action: The Sub - committee is requesting the department to provide: o Information regarding the Request for Proposal (RFP) processes. o More information between the commission meetings. • Deputy Corporation Counsel Torigoe clarified that a tied vote is generally considered "no action ", not a negative vote. Commissioner Anne Lee's Report on Available Grants for the Department and change of research scope to include other funding sources • This project is ongoing and Commissioner Lee will provide research topics to be agendized and discussed at the next meeting. Department response to the Hilo Landfill Feasibility Study if available. The report fulfilled the goal of delivering information on feasibility and cost - effectiveness but a final decision on a solid waste management plan for the county will not be based solely on this report. - The department's plan is to bring discussion of alternatives to the communities and receive public input prior to a final decision being made. The department will meet with the mayor in the next few weeks to continue discussion and to schedule community meetings. The discussion of 3 alternatives will begin today with the SWD Chief's overview of: o various Waste -to- energy (WTE) options o a new lined landfill in Hilo o Long - hauling to West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill (WHSL) Department Report on the results of the pilot study (hauling solid waste to West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill) if available (Presentation and Letter Report attached to the original minutes) SWD Chief Greg Goodale made presentation: • Since 1992 various studies have recommended more than one alternative for solid waste disposal. • In 2002, the Update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) recommended: • Construct no new landfills in East Hawaii, and • Procure a waste reduction facility for the East Hawaii waste stream using either mass -burn WTE, thermal gasification or anaerobic digestion technology. • In 2004, the first Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued and cancelled by the County prior to award. • In 2006, a second RFP was issued, awarded to Wheelabrator Technologies for construction of a mass -burn WTE facility. • In 2008, due to higher than anticipated construction and operation costs, the County Council rejected the Wheelabrator RFP. • In 2009, the Updated Integrated Resources and Solid Waste Management Plan's (1RSWP) residual management strategy recommendations were to evaluate the feasibility and cost - effectiveness of a new lined landfill adjacent to the South Hilo Sanitary landfill (SHSL) and long - hauling solid waste to the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill (WHSL). • In 2011, DEM executed a contract with R.W. Beck to evaluate and provide a feasibility study report. • On March 28, 2012, the Hilo Landfill Feasibility Study (HLFS) was finalized. o The renort's opinion was that while technically feasiMe. nermittinu and land ncP rnnetraintc