2018-09-26 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

Home

Chair Bennett asked the commissioners if they would like to review the EA between now and the next meeting, and then have discussion on it at the next meeting, and Commissioner Neff said yes. Chair Bennett said discussion on the Pāhala project EA will be an item under New Business at the next meeting. Director Kucharski continued with his report. • Clarification of two statements he made at the June 27, 2018, meeting: Director Kucharski said the EPA had alerted him to two misstatements he had made. For the first, he had indicated an EIS would be done for Pāhala, but that is imprecise. He had intended to partake that NEPA was triggered. However, NEPA does not require an EIS in all circumstances, so he had been imprecise. NEPA was triggered and was being handled with a Joint EA for Pāhala. The second misstatement was that he erred in saying when the EAs were to be done, as the dates he gave were for the closure of the LCCs. • Status of the closure of the Hilo Landfill: It looked like it would happen in late spring or early summer of 2019. Their compacting machine is out of commission for about a month, so more air space will be taken up until it is repaired. There has not been a big waste increase due to the hurricane or eruption, so he does not see a big change in the schedule for its closure. • Status of the proposed East Hawaiʻi Organics Facility: A public meeting was held on the EA, and there was robust discussion. • Status of proposed commissioners to the EMC: Dee Fulton is pending final approval by the Council, which will leave two slots open. • Information on what profit-making waste management opportunities may exist: Director Kucharski said two come to mind. One is to have a private C&D landfill, and the other is for collection of grease traps and grease interceptors from restaurants and commercial facilities. Pacific Biodiesel used to be the primary recycler of these grease elements into biodiesel, but because of wastewater issues and their inability to have an approved wastewater treatment facility, they have stopped taking new clients. DEM has received several calls on this. Septic haulers either have to not take a full truck full of septic or come in and just do the grease trap. Nobody is set up right now to do this, and it is particularly hard on the east side because haulers would have to drive over to Puʻuanahulu to dispose of it. • Additional updates: ᵒ The revisions to the Hawaiian Earth Recycling contract for composting have been completed and the contract is awaiting the mayor’s signature. They will be starting activities required by the contract for