2017-03-22 Environmental Management Commission Minutes

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• Georgejean Adams stated it's difficult to get people to recycle correctly, so the Waikoloa Waste to Energy Program will be a good thing for the community and is looking forward to the project. We really need this facility. Would like them to be active in the community by looking for partners to take the items they recover. • Jerome Warren stated the handouts for the Na`alehu&Pahala cesspools are incomplete. It only has the table of contents and summary. All the critical information is missing. The department still has not been able to come up with their original documentation. All the department has is a letter which is a copy of Mr. Warren's copy. The homeowner's agreement from 2004 is still viable. Documents from the Mayor's Office informed homeowners that the ILWU would oversee the conversion. They would be able to help out if they were here at the meetings. The EPA now has the County under an Administrative Order of Consent which means the Department of Environmental Management has failed to comply with federal regulation that they have known about for 17 years. • Jerome Warren stated we are moving away from a person's individual sovereignty when we adopt a ban on Styrofoam take-out food containers. By banning food containers,they are showing the rest of the world that the Big Island is environmentally aware. Extreme environmentalist tell us that Mother Nature is supreme and the individual person is secondary. Let's not turn the Department of Environmental Management in to Mother Nature's church. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: —None 6. NEW BUSINESS: • Na`alehu & Pahala Large Capacity Cesspool Closures: o Director Kucharski stated the department is in the process of getting an Administrative Order of Compliance. We are currently looking at locations in Na`alehu. The scheduled we are proposing will have the large capacity cesspools closed by the year 2020. For the Pahala project we will be using federal money so that requires than an Environmental Impact Statement be done. For the Na`alehu project we will be using local money so that requires an Environmental Assessment. We have a meeting next week with EPA to discuss all of this. There are three gang cesspools in Pahala. We are looking to have one closed within the next year, and the other two will be replaced with a septic system. • Bill 13,Draft 2—An ordinance amending Ch. 20 by adding a new article relating to reduction of polystyrene foam "Styrofoam" food containers and food service ware: (attached to original minutes) o Director Kucharski stated he submitted comments to the County Council regarding this bill. In order for the Department to properly support the bill, we will need more money and staffing. o On March 8, 2017 an ad hoc committee was formed to work with stakeholders to come up with proposed amendments and report back to the Council by June 30, 2017. o If the Bill is brought to the Commission for review and comment, Commissioners asked that they receive the Bill prior to the meeting so they have time to look it over and have their comments ready for the meeting. • Proper disposal of used tires: o Director Kucharski stated businesses who sell tires charge a mandatory fee for tire disposal so they are required to keep your old tires. Letters were sent out to all tire dealers to explain what their responsibilities are regarding taking in used tires. o Commissioner Neff stated there are gardening projects that incorporate used tires. o Commissioner Fear stated it was brought up years ago for the department to purchase their own machine that is capable of breaking down the tires to they can be used for other things. o Director Kucharski stated the department will need to take a better look at this issue to see how we can make it better. County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.