HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0521.046 2002-2004 HAWAII
ISLAND
Economic
Development
June 2, 2004 Board
PMB-281
Councilman James Arakaki 200 Kanoelehua Avenue
Cjlalr Hilo, HI 96720-4648
Ph: (808) 966-5416/17
Hawaii County Council Fax: (808) 966-6792
25 Aupuni Street E-mail: clipper~interpac.net
Hilo, HI 96720 Website: www.hiedb.org
Re: Sort Station -East Hawaii
Public Heazing June 2, 2004 - 9AM
Dear Chairman Arakaki and Members of the Committee:
Since 2000, HIEDB has been working closely with the Environmental Management
Department and a broad cross section of the environmental, academic, technical and
business community to develop sound policy and sustainable projects for waste
management issues in Hawaii County. We applaud your support of these vitally
important matters.
Afrer four years of hard work and community support, we are more convinced of the
absolute necessity to utilize the approved Waste Management Master Plan starting with
the East Hawaii Sort Station. Without that comprehensive, integrated approach, Hawaii
Island will eventually drown in its own waste stream.
As you know, we have worked through Senator Daniel Inouye's office to establish a
number of highly successful pilot projects such as the Kea'au Resource Recovery Center
and the development of the Kealakehe Resource Recovery Center which is now
underway in West Hawaii. In dozens of meetings azound the island, with small
businesses and hotels and contractors, we have found intense interest in encouraging
recycling initiatives at many levels, feeding into the facility planned at the East Hawaii
sort station. These centers, adjacent to harbors/airports, provide opportunity for import
and/or export of new goods and services.
We believe that the infrastructure is now in place to enable sustainable business
operations to succeed, starting with the implementation of the County's Waste
Management Plan and the East Hawaii Sort Station.
We look forward to assisting in this important work.
Yo ri incerely,
( ~ n
~~~'u
Paula Z. Helfrich
Comm. No. s 11.
Ref. To: Preseeted
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