2018-10-24 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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• Bill 192 is from Councilmember O’Hara. It is being reworked. The attempt was to give DEM the responsibility for neutering cats and other animals and also to prepare environmental reviews for all county properties. It was determined to be in excess of Charter functions and provisions, so the bill is being reworked to be doing those tasks on property DEM operates/manages. After it is heard by the Council’s Environmental Management Committee, it will be brought to the EMC for review and comment. • DEM will be bringing up a bill for a sewer rate increase, and it will need to be reviewed and commented on by the EMC. He is hoping it will be on the EMC’s November agenda for review and support or non-support. • He did a brown water advisory presentation to the Council at the request of Councilmember Chung. He has provided copies of a PowerPoint to the commissioners to further explain. These advisories are essentially a state DOH issue. If there is a county-wide brown water advisory and the DOH wants signs posted, he would need clarification on where the signs should go. A copy of the DOH sign was provided to the commissioners. • The only thing he discussed with the Charter Commission was regarding clarification of DEM’s regulatory and enforcement powers. He did not comment on the EMC’s input, because the EMC was created to advise him, so he did not think it was appropriate to comment on the EMC’s function. • He is dealing with a number of EAs of which they have been informed. • There is an open house tomorrow at the Puuanahulu Landfill to celebrate its 25th anniversary. If the commissioners ever want to take a tour there, let him know. • The Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan is being worked on. • He told the commissioners if they want to tour the transfer station in Commissioner Neff’s district, he would be happy to set that up. Just let him know. Questions and brief discussions were held on: ᵒ The upcoming composting facility. Director Kucharski clarified that if the EA and FONSI are passed, the composting facility will be on the east side, and mulch will be brought over from the west side. The plans are to have mulch and food waste mixed in and transported over for composting. The only thing that will remain on the west side will be enhanced mulch. The west side of the island has a problem with brackish water and as a result, the mulch doesn’t compost as well as on the east side.