2018-07-26 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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department gets their way, the people will have their water shut off. That is what they’re being faced with. Sandra Demoruelle: She expressed her appreciation to the commissioners for being there and being like her, another person. However, she sees a lack of understanding on the county’s part and the EMC’s part on what the NEPA and HEPA regulations require. She pointed out to J Yoshimoto today that there are NEPA arbitration procedural statutes. What is important is the procedure that goes into analyzing what is happening and the consequences. Following the procedures provides agencies and the EPA with information to make wise decisions. It also provides for public input, which has clearly been missing on the Nāālehu project. No one wants to put a wastewater treatment plant by a school. There ʻ seems to be some sort of deception, as they were told of a final EIS in 2007 that was never implemented and never withdrawn. They don’t know what happened to it. Now there are two brand new plants being planned when there are so many problems with the old ones. Building two new ones does not make any sense. However, seeing the developers who are being helped by this project leaves them no longer surprised. It has been unkind to terrorize the community and strike fear in her heart such that she would come out to speak on this, and it’s simply because no EIS process was put in place on any level. There has never been an EA done on wastewater plants. That’s what she’s asking. Commissioner Neff asked Director Kucharski why there has been no process for an EA, and Director Kucharski explained that there has been an ongoing process of evaluating sites for treatment facilities at Nāālehu and Pāhala. The initial EAs that were done showed ʻ that the sites and alternatives were not acceptable. The EA is in the process of being prepared, which is what the earlier public informational meetings were for—to discuss things that were being considered for the community. The reason an EA has not been completed is because the environmental studies have not been completed to the point where they’re ready to go forward. It is anticipated to be done within the next year. They are looking at the preparation of the EA (for Nāālehu) ʻstarting in late fall. Commissioner Neff asked whether an EA is applied only when it’s been figured out that a site has been found, and Director Kucharski clarified that an EA is done for a project. You need to have a project, and then you have an EA done to determine whether the project is environmentally suitable for its purpose and location. That is the process we are in. The Wastewater Division has looked at over 30 sites just in Nāālehu, and for one reason or ʻ another the sites have been found to be inappropriate. An EA has not been produced because where or what the facility is going to be has not bee finalized. Until that is done, there is no EA because there is no project. The project is still being prepared and analyzed. Director Kucharski said he is never afraid of public input and positions that conflict with his. This is what the process is for, and he welcomes those comments. If he were afraid, it would mean he’s doing something not according to the law and process. In a situation like this, once the project is finalized the EA process will be done; and it will allow the community to discuss the project and provide feedback, which will help in the evaluation of the potential impacts of the site. As Mr. Warren pointed out, for 15 years they’ve been looking for a way to appropriately and adequately close the gang cesspools