HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0515.003 2022-2024October 16, 2023
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Re: Communication 515 public testimony Tuesday 10. 17.23 at 1:00 pm c r,
Aloha Madame Chair and members of the Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and
Development,? A
I have been fortunate to attend three presentations given by the presenter coming before you ;Z
today, Mike Ewall, and at each I learned important new lessons and ideas about both truly
renewable energy and ways to reduce and manage the waste streams we create.
Burning
Whether it is fossil fuel, trees and other plant material, or waste products, burning
1. releases carbon into the atmosphere, it
2. releases particulates that are dangerous to human health, it
3. releases dioxins and furans that poison downstream food, grass and soil,
4. and adds greatly to the catastrophic collapse of the delicate ecosystem we depend on for
our lives on earth.
For this reason the General Plan being revised this month should not in any way enable the
proposed operation of the Hu Honua power plant after state Supreme Court upheld the reasons
given by the Public Utilities Commission against approving a Power Purchase Agreement,
including the fact the proposed plant's energy sources would make Hu Honua a net emitter of
greenhouse gases. I urge this Committee to begin to working with the Planning Director to
determine why there are recommended changes, i.e. — expanding the Industrial zone surrounding
the plant, that indicate Hu Honua apparently intends to move forward with operations, despite
public opposition and legal rulings against it.
Single use plastic products
Single use plastic products must be phased out. Styrofoam, numbers 1-7 plastics, and
"compostable plastics" are not recycled to any meaningful extent and add tremendously to the
landfill after being used for just minutes or seconds after distribution. Surely we can find a way
to substitute truly compostable materials, as our forebears did, rather than burden the planet and
its inhabitants with products that persist for thousands of years, disrupting our endocrine systems
and the health of the planet. I urge you to wotk on a single use plastics ban, just as we were able
to achieve the once -incomprehensible ban on plastic throw -away bags.
Reduce packaging and enhance pay for return or disposal
P 0 Box 1137 Hilo. HI 96721-1137 1 hawaiiislandsierraclub@gmail.com
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Products with excessive packaging are everywhere, and it incumbent upon the producers of
waste, not the consumers, to reduce the packaging, and the producer should pay. We as
consumers do pay a deposit for drink containers and disposal fees for cars. I urge the Council to
find other ways that the consumers and producers can be incentivized to reduce packaging and
enhance pay for return or disposal.
Landfills, transfer stations and trucking of waste
Landfills, the transfer station, and the trucking of waste are a huge County of Hawaii expenses.
The Waste Management contract is very unusual in that we pay to bury waste whether we
actually deliver that waste or not. I urge the Council to review the Waste Management contract
in detail and suggest a sunset clause on this provision.
Landfill waste reduction
Landfill waste can be reduced if:
1. consumers better understand how much waste they are creating,
2. consumers and other waste producers are incentivized to reduce the amount of waste they
generate, and
3. mechanisms are put into place for removing portions .of waste from the waste stream.
This could be achieved by better availability of recycling options. For instance, a glass recycling
bin in Volcano transfer station is needed. Other states have implemented Pay to Throw plans,
such that the first bag is free, but subsequent bags must be purchased. Mr. Ewall will be
explaining how this has worked without the expected downsides. Also, county funded bulky
waste pickup (mattresses, couches, etc) would reduce some of the horrendous dumpsites in our
rural subdivisions and along our roads, thereby enhancing the scenic beauty of our island. I urge
the Council to consider and enact these methods.
Construction and demolition waste
Construction and demolition waste should be managed to reduce the contribution to the landfills.
I urge the Council to enact a rule to require dismantling and recycling of demolition waste.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify,
Deborah Ward
On behalf of the Sierra Club of Hawai'i, Hawai'i Island Group