2018-06-27 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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where you take small loads and you make a big load. Here, the transfer station is used as a place to offload material and to sort recyclables from non-recyclables. The transfer stations are where the sorting occurs, and it is voluntary public sorting. The sort station is simply taking the loads from small truckers and putting it in big trucks for the landfill. Chair Bennett asked if the material in the 3-bin system was taken off-island, and Director Kucharski said it is processed and prepared for off-island transportation, and what is done with it by the receiving recycling operations is not part of DEM’s contract. The contract is to collect the recyclables, which has to go off island since nobody on the island processes it. It is being diverted and used. Commissioner Fritz asked whether there was any checking of the transfer station attendants and what their purpose was, as they haven’t been telling general contractors and gardeners not to dump there. They haven’t been directing people. Director Kucharski said it is a DOH permit requirement that a transfer station have an attendant present whenever it is open. The attendant’s job is to ensure that material going down the chutes and being disposed of is appropriate material. However, it is a visual process for them. All of the recycling is voluntary, none is mandatory, so if someone chooses to put their cardboard down the chute, they can. Commercial operators are not supposed to use the chutes, but if someone comes in with non- commercial plates, it is difficult for an attendant to know it’s a commercial operator. DEM is trying to figure out a process by which, for example, registered businesses can get a permit to use the transfer station. He does not want everyone to go to the landfill, but he needs a mechanism to ensure the County is not giving businesses an economic advantage by letting them dump their trash at a transfer station rather than paying to dispose of it at Puʻuanahulu. It is difficult for attendants to be friendly and at the same time have to tell people no. Commissioner Fritz said there should be a method to stop the illegal dumping, whether it is taking a picture or writing down license plates. He estimates that 2 out of 5 users in Puakō are dumping commercial waste. Director Kucharski said he agrees the system is being abused, and they are looking into having a steeper penalty in the law, such as a $500 fine for commercial operators, rather than it being a petty misdemeanor which requires the person to be cited by the police. Another problem is that attendants can see it, but can’t prove it (that the waste is from a business). There needs to be a modified standard, such as preponderance of the evidence, for them to proceed. Commissioner Gaffney asked whether the attendants are County employees or contracted, and Director Kucharski said it depends on the time. Right now they are open for 12 hours. The employees work 10-hour days, so from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., they have private security personnel open the facilities so they can be open for 12 hours. If a budget crunch happens, things may change. The majority of the employees are County employees.