2018-05-23 EMC Agenda and Director's Informational Report

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DIRECTOR’S INFORMATIONAL REPORT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MAY 23, 2018 CURRENT LEGISLATION ITEM: n/a DESCRIPTION: Department of Environmental Management's Departmental Budget and Program Reviews before the County Council. CURRENT STATUS: County Council will meet May 21-22, 2018, on the budgets. DIRECTOR’S INFORMATIONAL UPDATES 1. Update on the Asset Management Plan for the Wastewater Division. 2. Report on May 4, 2018, meeting with septage haulers (see handout). 3. Information requested at previous meeting: • Find out whether the State of Hawaiʻi accepted or exceeded the federal standards for nutrient discharge requirements for NPDES permits. • Research the composting of old lumber and whether borate degrades its quality. • Report on the status of the education component of the Hawaiian Earth Recycling contract, and inform the parties that the EMC wants the educational component maintained in the contract. • Find out what the EPA deems the hazardous level of arsenic in landfills. ◦ If soil contains arsenic above naturally occurring levels (24 milligrams per kilogram \[mg/kg\]), the DOH recommends additional testing for bioaccessible arsenic. Bioaccessibility testing on iron-rich, volcanic Hawaiian soils has shown that only 5% to 20% of the total arsenic in soil is potentially available for absorption in the body. This means that 80% to 95% of the arsenic is too tightly bound to the soil to pose a potential risk. ◦ DOH makes its final health risk determinations based on bioaccessible arsenic levels, not total arsenic levels. In soil, levels of up to 23 mg/kg of bioaccessible arsenic are suitable for unrestricted land use—including homes, schools, and daycare centers. Properties with higher arsenic levels may require exposure prevention strategies for residential or school uses. DOH provides additional guidance in interpreting arsenic data for properties and in determining what steps, if any, should be taken to reduce exposure. ◦ See handouts.