2018-01-18 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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Vice Chair Olson said in the past, EPA monies were a vehicle. He believes there are several hundred million dollars available for Hawaiʻi. It has been a sore point with the Sierra Club that the state has not conveyed information about this funding to homeowners. At some point the money will disappear, if it is not grabbed. Chair Bennett said he was concerned that one of the alternatives to cesspits being promoted is a traditional septic system, but there is not a lot of data showing conclusively that a septic system upgrade will solve the problems that cesspits create. Ms. Noda said she would have the secretary forward the DOH report to the commissioners, and it will be kept on the agenda under the Director’s Report for the next meeting. She requested that items 6.a.(2) and (3) be postponed to the next meeting, when Director Kucharski will be present. b. Letter to the Commission dated December 28, 2017, from Karen Eoff, Council Vice Chair, in response to the Commission’s December 13, 2017, letter regarding Policy Proposal Suggestions for Water Resource Management. Chair Bennett explained the letter was a formal thank you and no action was necessary. In addition, Ms. Eoff has asked him to give a presentation to the Environmental Management Committee on January 23, 2018, in Building A at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center. Everyone is welcome to attend. He has put together a PowerPoint presentation that reflects the points made in the Commission’s letter. 7. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Commissioner Fear said he wanted the discharge of water on Aliʻi Drive next to Huliheʽe Palace to be on the next agenda. The discharge is right across the street from where the County processes water, and the County says they’re not discharging into the bay. He said you can go down there every day and watch the water coming out. It is polluting the bay with staph. Director Kucharski said there is no water coming out, but you can stand on the wall there and see it coming out. Chair Bennett said he needed the wording for the agenda and suggested “Outfall Right in Front of the Processing Plant Next to Hulihee Palace.” He said there is a little breakwall there, about 25 feet on the side. He asked if this was a request to have Director Kucharski speak to this, and Commissioner Fear said yes. Commissioner Fear said he also wants on the next agenda an update on the recycling programs at the schools, as well as notification of a beach clean-up on March 3, 2018. Vice Chair Olson said that on the outfall situation, the State DOH should be contacted. The DOH will send an investigator to take water samples. He did not believe it fell within the County’s prerogative. Commissioner Fear said the County is in charge of the sewer and claims the pollution is not caused by the county. Vice Chair Olson said it is the state’s responsibility, as