HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0764.025 2022-2024 P/ PGIA
MI N0
CoMM./64
May 29, 2024
The Hon. Susan Lee Loy, Chair, and Ashley Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair, and
Members of the Policy Committee on Infrastructure and Assets
RE: June 4, 2024, Agenda Item to Amend HCC Ch 20: Bill 140 Draft 01
Chair Lee Loy and Committee Members,
I oppose Bill 140 to amend operational requirements for Department of Environmental
Management(DEM) solid waste disposal (SWD) facilities for the reasons stated below: W.
"Section 20- - . SWD facilities; minimum days of operation.
Any SWD facility used for the disposal, collection, and transfer of household solid
waste shall be operated and open to the public for such purposes no less than two days a
week."
1. Residents can access other transfer stations on days that their local transfer station is not
open.
2. There is no provision for unexpected closures that may lead to less than two days service.
3. No additional funds have been provided to DEM to support such service.
4. Even if funds were provided, the additional costs of staffing and hauling solid waste for a
low volume Transfer Station such as the one at Kalapana(currently the only station at
less than 2 days/week) is a poor allocation of resources needed for efficient county-wide
management of residential solid waste.
5. Council and DEM could consider ad hoc solid waste pick-up(s) in cases where safety
issues arise from a resident not being able to get to a transfer station on a timely basis.
6. Bill 140 is ambiguous as to whether the two-day minimum applies to recycling services—
which is variably provided at transfer stations. (Kalapana and Pa'auilo have no recycling
service; HI5 collection/redemption is only offered at 7 transfer stations,4 at only one
day/week.) Establishing recyclables collection and transport would add significant costs
and time to redesign and manage multiple transfer stations, requiring new appropriations,
hard-to-find hires and contracts.
Ideally, Council will wait for DEM to review the Solid Waste Operational study now underway
and expected for completion this fall and will allow a more considered county-wide redesign of
its transfer station and waste management program. (The study is evaluating several
recommendations made in the 2019 Integrated Solid Waste Implementation Plan, including
transfer station operations.)
If additional service is deemed an immediate need, regardless of costs, at Kalapana and environs,
I suggest you grant DEM funds to do a pilot program for curbside pick-up of wastes and
recyclables, including funds for education on how residents can reduce and reuse materials they
are now discarding. The results of such a curbside collection pilot would be valuable data for
follow-up on the operational study. 1 C
Comm. . Lv
Ref. To: V�
Ref. Date 411.1N -- 4 L.S-
Sincerely,
Georj can L. Adams
Kamuela HI