2018-07-26 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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the preliminary evaluations are done, the WWD will commence with the EAs as required for the new sites. The commissioners had been given a June 22, 2018, letter from the EPA providing revised compliance dates. For the next meeting, he will provide a gantt chart of the full schedule for both the Nāālehu and Pāhalʻa WWTPs. • Status of the Closure of the Hilo Landfill: The preliminary design for closure has been provided to the state, and it has accepted DEM’s proposal to have an artificial covering, similar to artificial turf. It was decided not to have a natural ground cover because there would be no way to maintain its integrity in the Hilo environment. Once the state approves the closure plan, they will go out for bid on the installation. They expect to cease taking waste near the end of the year, or perhaps in early Spring 2019, depending on how much waste comes in. They are on schedule. • A report on Fats, Oils, Grease (FOG): As an informational issue, the WWD is running into FOG problems. Bob King, of Pacific Biodiesel, did a presentation before the County Council. Pacific Biodiesel takes grease traps and restaurant grease and converts it into biodiesel. However, the wastewater produced during this process contains too much COD (chemical oxygen demand) for it to go directly to the Hilo or Kealakehe WWTPs. The waste stream would require pretreatment, and the WWD does not have industrial pretreatment standards. DEM is investigating and dealing with the DOH on creating such a program. He made a commitment to the County Council to report on the status of the industrial wastewater treatment program in early August. Though currently there is not much industrial waste on this island, standards need to be set in case a company does come in and produces industrial waste. That waste will need to be pretreated in order to use the County’s sewer systems. Pacific Biodiesel had been sending their wastewater to Maui for composting. However, the Big Island does not have control of the composting—it is contracted out to HER, who cannot be forced to take another water source for their compost. In the meantime, Pacific Biodiesel is not taking new customers, so restaurants don’t have people to take the grease traps. DEM opened the grease pit in Puʻuanahulu to accommodate FOG disposal. All FOG received will need to be solidified and pass the paint test, and then it can be disposed of in the landfill. It is expensive, so the WWD and SWD are trying to come up with a better way to deal with it. • Report on a complaint to the Mayor’s Office about a commissioner’s tenure: Susie Osborne has resigned from the EMC. On her original application form, she accidently wrote that she is from District 5, but she is actually from District 4. Once the error was discovered, she was asked to resign, which she did gracefully. Her presence will be missed. Vice Chair Olson pointed out that reapportionment came along at some point and confused the districts. Chair Bennett said he would like to have her service acknowledged, and he will work with the secretary to draft a letter to Ms. Osborne.