2019-01-23 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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• The report is good in the way it looks at municipal wastewater systems. However, the idea of reusing graywater in the home is not mentioned at all, yet it is the biggest opportunity to reuse water and keep it out of the cesspits. Chair Bennett asked the director how they could respond to the report and share their thoughts with the legislature. Director Kucharski said the task force has been disbanded. A legislative package will be coming out, and he will be providing written testimony on the various environmental bills. The only method to comment now is to follow the legislation and submit testimony. The commissioners discussed how the state cannot afford to disassociate water reuse from wastewater management, but Vice Chair Olson said the issue is totally disconnected from his environment and the Puna community due to the low population, large lot sizes, and the fact they are not connected to a governmental water system. Director Kucharski said he agrees that one size does not fit all, and the Cesspool Conversion Working Group is looking at what will make sense in different areas. In addition, the geology of the Big Island is different from the other islands. Chair Bennett said the report does not mention adopting the 2016 Uniform Plumbing Code with the green supplements, and Director Kucharski said it was discussed and pushed for adoption, but it is difficult to address at the state level and then drop it down to the county level. Whatever is adopted by a county will have to be shown to be not less restrictive than the state. Chair Bennett said it appears the state does not trust the Uniform Plumbing Code process, which is used in hundreds of counties in many other states. Vice Chair Olson said it is clear the state is the obstruction. Chair Bennett said it all hinges on a blind assumption that human waste is teeming with viruses, bacteria, and parasites that are waiting to kill us should we touch it. However, science says this is categorically not true. He asked if there were a couple of commissioners who would be willing to be on a subcommittee to draft recommendations to the legislature relative to reuse policy, and Commissioner Gaffney and Vice Chair Olson volunteered. The commissioners discussed what the procedure should be used in responding to the report. Ms. Wong said the cleanest way is to focus on DEM’s purview and responsibilities. The response should be submitted to Director Kucharski, with a copy to the Mayor and County Council. Director Kucharski can push the letter through, such as when he offers testimony on bills in the legislature. Director Kucharski pointed out that the bills will be going to the Committee on Water and Land rather than the environmental committee. Chair Bennett said that even though cesspit closure, individual home waste management, and reuse are currently on different legislative tracks, there is a tremendous interconnection. He requested Commissioner Gaffney to follow up on and reveal those interconnections. If they are bifurcated legislatively, opportunities will be missed.