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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0554.007 2020-2022 HAWAIIAN January 18,2022 The Honorable Tim Richards,Chair Committee on Regenerative,Agricultural,Water,Energy and Environmental Management Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 rOCNjyCLERK COUNTY OF HAWAPI Re: Comm.554 RECEIVER Time C : dl.ftt By Date N 2 Dear Chair Richards and Council Members, In 2008,the County contracted with Recycle Hawaii to conduct a Zero Waste implementation plan which was completed in March 2009.The purpose of this plan was to evaluate resource management options including reuse,recycling,composting, and special discards management,among others,that may help the County achieve its waste reduction goals.Again, COMPOSTING was the 31 listed goal of the entire plan.This plan indicated that two thirds of the Big Islands landmass of ag zoned property,could support the islands economy or food chain.About 10,000 acres or less of land would suffice to feed the entire County's population.The economic impacts on increasing locally produced food amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. Sustainable farming enhanced through the use of mulches and soil amendments,and created from Hawaii's own organic discards,can also help advance agritourism,a new,dynamic,rapidly growing business on both the Big Island and worldwide. The Zero Waste Implementation Plan included input from 12 stakeholder meetings and a Zero Waste Conference. These were held in September 2008 at multiple locations in the County to present zero waste concepts,and receive input from local residents and business owners about ways to turn currently discarded materials into resources.This Zero Waste Implementation Plan received input from over 300 participants. Ten years later,the 2019 Solid Waste Management Plan also indicated that a Compost Facility was not only being planned for, but to be completed in July 1,2020-at the Shipman Industrial Park in Keaau.However,the County continues to push back these dates even though two Environmental Assessments were completed at two different sites and paid for,along with all the design for the New Compost Facility that was also completed and paid for.This has cost the taxpayers more than$1M for all the work put into this compost facility already;design,county's time,our county councils time,EA fees,consultant fees, contract negotiations,and the time from our community members of the Advisory Commission who had spent hundreds of countless of hours dedicated and giving their time spent to produce this Plan. Again,there has been decades of process and community involvement and thus a written plan and a contract to support this new compost facility so that we can: 1. Divert organics from entering the landfill in the most productive way 2. Meeting the Dept of Health's environmental risk mitigation requirements and regulations 3. Meeting the Dept of Ag spread of invasive species mandates 4. Providing the highest quality of product to support the agricultural,ranching and landscaping industry 5. Using an In-vessel Composting Technology-Gore System Recycling and diverting materials should not be seen as an inconvenience,especially if these products can be turned into something of greater,more sustainable value. This is the exact case for food waste,both for the local economy and environment: Ref. To:—P/9A V10ft Ref. Date JAN 1 8 S i t HAWAIIAN ,. I k hi • Economically,a food waste collection program will reduce Hawaii's supply chain risk by creating nutrient-rich compost locally. Local farmers could offset their costs and dependence on imported chemicals and synthetic fertilizers by using food compost,which is rich in nitrogen and other nutrients that other types of compost lack. Additionally,food composting operations would create more jobs and could reduce produce costs by improving overall crop yield and crop diversification. • Environmentally,compost with food waste creates overall healthier soils that hold water and macronutrients more efficiently while filtering out harmful chemicals that would otherwise leach into our streams,reefs,and ocean. Other benefits of food compost extend further to reforestation aid,wetland restoration,and carbon sequestration initiatives. fi i Once we landfill food waste and it releases into our mother earth,we cannot reverse the negative effects or take advantage of its greater potential benefits. Food waste in landfills produce methane gases,which over a twenty-year span,is 85 times more lethal than cot in contributing to global warming. Food waste composting is a major step toward a more sustainable future and ensuring healthy,fertile land for our future generations. Our county is striving to be more sustainable by using local products,growing local,and buying local. This is the right thing to do. Mahalo, Marvin Min Hawaiian Earth Recycling Senior Vice President-Hawaii Division IViarvir�.min�haGvaiianear�h.com (808)426-6652(cell)