HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0434.000 2004-2006 BOB JACOBSON wtv a x Phone No.: (SOS) 961-8263
Council Memher r>~'w ....!h4, Fax No.: (808) 961-8912
~i64~ E-Mail: Jacobs@hgea.org
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HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawai 'i
Hawui'i County Building
25 Aupuni Stree(, Suite 209 _ -
I/ilo, /[awai'i 96720 -
DATE: September 7, 2005
TO: Chair Stacy Higa and Members of the Hawaii County Council
FROM: Bob Jacobson, Council Member j
RE: Solid Waste Management Issues ~ J
The common thread that runs through all discussions is the urgency of the situation due
to the impending closure of the South Hilo Landfill. This 'crisis' mindset has been, and
continues to be, the principal basis of discussion regarding solid waste management in
Hawaii County.
In the quest for a resolution to Hawaii County's solid waste 'crisis', other issues that
have been, and continue to be, discussed, are:
1. Process of implementation, by means of an RFP and/or other means of contracting.
2. Rate of waste diversion possible and necessary under various scenarios.
3. Technology choice in terms of waste-to-energy opportunities.
4. Interdependence or coupling of components (waste reduction facility, re-loading
facility, sort station)
5. Financing by public and/or private sectors
6. Timeline required for planning, permitting, construction, and operations for individual
components and/or a comprehensive system.
The following issues have been, and continue to be, absent from the discussion:
1. Environmental impact and the County's resgonsibilitV in environmental protection.
2. Direct and indirect costs and benefits of diversion versus disposal.
3. Hierarchy of waste management as a policy tool.
Environmental impact has been addressed solely from the perspective of achieving the
minimum necessary to satisfy state health and federal environmental regulations,
without priority to the actual safety and well being of the island community.
Comm. No. y3
Ref. To: ---~E~T'.~oU5'
District 6 -Upper Puna, Ka'u, and South Kona y~,; p~~
Hawaii County /s An Equa[ Opportunity Provider And Employer
With the focus of discussions on the 'crisis' created by the end of the useful life of the
South Hilo landfill, there has been nil discussion the economic advantages of various
means of diversion, including recycling, over disposal, as indicated from considerable
research across the USA and other countries.
There has been no effort or discussion regarding what the County's priorities are in solid
waste management. If undertaken, this would be productive as a forerunner to
discussions about contracting, technologies, finances, and timelines.
The State of Hawaii established, in HRS 342G-2, the following order of priority for solid
waste management practices and processing methods
1. Source reduction;
2. Recycling and bio-conversion, including composting; and
3. Landfilling and incineration
These priorities have not been considered in Hawaii County's solid waste management
discussions or policy actions.
The State of Hawaii "order of priority" for solid waste management mirrors the
internationally accepted "Waste Hierarchy" used in many jurisdictions
1. Prevention of generation of waste -most preferred option
2. Minimization
3. Re-use
4. Recycling /Composting
5. Energy Recovery
6. Disposal -least preferred option
To assure a viable and sustainable outcome, the scope of discussion regarding solid
waste management must examine these additional issues.
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