2018-02-28 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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user, and truckload after truckload of wood goes into the landfill every day. It would be good to offer a credit system to people who are able to separate their wood. Vice Chair Olson asked whether, as a function of civil defense, there is an after-event clean-up plan, and Director Kucharski said they have a plan. 6. REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE a. Director’s Informational Report (1) The State Department of Health’s Report to the Twenty-Ninth Legislature, State of Hawaiʻi, 2018 Regular Session, Relating to Cesspools and Prioritization for Replacement. Director Kucharski pointed out that the commissioners had been provided a copy of the DOH report to the legislature on cesspools, as well as a handout he had prepared on cesspool closures with information pulled from the DOH report. His handout showed the areas identified as priorities for cesspool upgrades, broken up by square miles, number of cesspools, and millions of gallons per day discharged. The cesspools have a greater impact on water quality than all the WWTPs combined. The County of Hawaiʻi’s prioritized areas cover about 200 square miles, which is 28% of the total area of Maui, 33% of the total area of Oʻahu, 26% of the total area of Kauaʻi, and 78% of the total area of Molokaʻi. The Big Island has a greater impact area, volume, and numbers than the rest of the state put together. The DOH uses a figure of $20,000 per household to upgrade, which is about $500 million in total costs just for the priority areas identified for our county. This issue needs to be addressed, and there are several bills in the legislature now, including one to create a study group to research alternatives to cesspools and how to fund them, how to provide funding for low income households, and how to manage the whole changeover process. He has submitted support testimony and can provide his testimony if anyone is interested. Chair Bennett asked who will be appointing the study group and who the appointees will be. Director Kucharski answered that from his recollection, it would include the Director of Health, a leader from the Clean Water Branch, members from wastewater agencies, members identified by the mayors, a representative from the wastewater private sector, and environmental groups. There may be others he can’t recall. A consultant will be brought in to address the eleven issues identified in the bill. Chair Bennett said it would be good to have a conversation about how the County of Hawaiʻi can best be represented in the effort, and Director Kucharski said the Mayor will be identifying and appointing members. Vice Chair Olson said anything that comes down from the State is usually Oahu-centered, and our island can fit all the others combined. The County of Hawaiʻi should plan on doing more, because the State is only going to help Oahu since that is where the population is. We will have to figure it out on our own, because they won’t do it for us. He has gone over and over these issues for the past 30 years with different bodies, and the outcome is always the same.