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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0189.007 2008-2010 Page I of 3 PI~uNcst. Murashige, Laura From: James Weatherford [gardengreen@hawaiiantel.net] (ivG (jqy y on $ y 7 Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2009 2:12 PM To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: Resolution 66-09 - OPPOSED C t)i i'' " 'r I i;1i11,`',]I Resolution 66-09 - OPPOSED During Council deliberations regarding Resolution 66-09, reference has been made to a `mirror' Resolution on Oahu. The core text of each Resolution the original so-called `mirror' Resolution from Honolulu and of the subsequent Hawaii County Resolution (66-09) is below. A comparison of the two Resolutions reveals substantial differences. A clearly different intention is indicated by the titles and by the BE IT RESOLVED clauses of the respective Resolutions. The Hawaii County Resolution removes the state government from the collaborative effort proposed in the Honolulu Resolution. Furthermore, while the Honolulu Resolution seeks to "develop a joint process", the Hawaii County Resolution more narrowly circumscribes the action to be undertaken as "pursue a single proposal". The second WHEREAS clauses in both Resolutions contain unsupportable economic inferences. The Honolulu Resolution states that "economies of scale may" be available from a larger size operation "may". The Hawaii County Resolution goes further, fabricating meaningless gobbledygook ("economics of magnitude"), thereby demonstrating a cavalier disregard for the integrity of the legislative process. The sixth WHEREAS clauses in both Resolutions fall short of sound investment analysis, in that they claim advantage for "maximize" rather than "optimize". The Honolulu Resolution claims advantage if the counties can "maximize capital equipment utilization"; that is, utilize as great a quantity of capital equipment as can be acquired by whatever means. The Hawaii County Resolution claims advantage if the counties can "maximize capital equipment and infrastructure funding"; that is, spend on capital equipment and infrastructure as much money as can be obtained by whatever means. Neither Resolution provides evidence regarding relative costs and benefits to support assertions and intimations of superior economic performance by a single, large process for any, much less all, of the resources in "the State's combined solid waste flow." There is no sound economic basis on which to infer that under any and all circumstances a larger operation will always result in higher economic efficiency - to insist otherwise is to put blind faith in discredited Soviet-style ideology. Whatever size operation exists under any scenario will be a better investment if it optimizes capital equipment utilization - that is, gets the most benefit out of the least cost. A A reasonable starting place is perhaps joint discussions among and/or between the four County governments and the State government to explore common interests and mutual opportunities in resolving "the State's solid waste issues". Such discussions will be more productive if based on sound scientific and economic evidence, and if taken up without prejudgments on anyone's part regarding the merit of any particular size, scale, or location of whatever.potential operation might result. Comm. No. Ref. To: 5/4/2009 Ref. Date MAY 0 6 200 Page 2 of 3 James Weatherford, PhD 15-1888 6t' Avenue, Hawaiian Paradise Park PO Box 2017 Keaau, Hawaii 96749 808-982-5549 COUNTY OF HAWAI'I RESOLUTION NO. 66 09 A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE RESPECTIVE COUNTIES OF HAWAI'I, MAUI, KAUA'I, AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, TO COLLABORATE AND PURSUE A SINGLE SOLID WASTE PROPOSAL THAT COULD ENABLE THE STATE OF HAWAII TO QUALIFY AND APPLY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER ANY AND ALL EXISTING OR PROPOSED ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND STABILIZATION PACIC&GES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE NEW "FOOD, CONSERVATION AND ENERGY ACT OF 2008", ALSO KNOWN AS THE 2007 U.S. FARM BILL. WHEREAS, handling and processing of solid waste remains an ongoing and unresolved issue for the State of Hawaii and as such, there may be significant efficiencies in addressing these solid waste issues based upon individual needs of each county through a combined single solid waste proposal approach; and WHEREAS, economics of magnitude are generally accomplished when the primary focus and opportunities are comprised of large-scale, multi-encompasing proposals; and WHEREAS, the potential of a unique opportunity exists of processing the State's combined solid waste flow into organic composted media for agricultural enhancement, and this oppbrtunity occurs best on the island of Hawai'i whereby an all-encompassing solid waste solution of this scope and specificity could result in significant returns on investments and promote economic and agricultural sustainability; and WHEREAS, development of bin fuel crops on non-productive lands on Hawai'i Island and/or other counties would promote initiation and development of new agro-energ presence in the County and State of Hawai'i, and contribute to resolving the state-wide solid waste issue and ongoing threats of contaminated leachate now looming over our coastal environment; and WHEREAS, collaboration among counties in developing joint proposals to address solid waste issues under a single solid waste proposal, if successful, would require changes to respective County Codes in order to implement integrated programs such as collection and shipment of material to one or more processing locations, processing through enhanced composting procedures for use as foundation soil and agricultural enhancement; and WHEREAS, a state-wide single solid waste proposal, developed jointly by the counties would promote economic and agricultural,sustainability, maximize capital equipment and infrastructure funding; and WHEREAS, a program of this magnitude, processing the State's combined solid waste flow into organic composted media for agricultural enhancement, dramatically facilitates federal funding opportunities through federal programs such as the new Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill, as well as through other federal agency monies that would likewise be available, now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the counties of Hawai'i, Maui, Kaua'i, and the City and County of Honolulu, are encouraged to collaborate to develop a joint process to address the entire State's solid waste issues through integrated programs that promote economic and agricultural sustainability for the State of Hawai'i; and 5/4/2009 Page 3 of 3 CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU No. 09-108, CDI RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE COUNTIES TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO DEVELOP A JOINT PROCESS TO ADDRESS THE STATE'S SOLID WASTE ISSUES. WHEREAS, the handling and processing of solid waste remains an ongoing and unresolved issue for all of the counties of the State of Hawaii and as such, there may be significant efficiencies in addressing these solid waste issues through a combined solid waste approach; and WHEREAS, economies of scale may be achieved from large-scale, multi-encompassing proposals; and WHEREAS, there is a unique opportunity to process the state's combined solid waste flow into organic composted media for agricultural enhancement, and the opportunity exists to employ a solid waste solution of this scope that may realize significant returns on investment and promote economic and agricultural sustainability; and WHEREAS, the development of biofuel crops on non-productive lands would promote the development of new agro-energy businesses in the State of Hawafl, and help resolve the statewide solid waste issue and ongoing threats of contaminated leachate in our coastal environment; and WHEREAS, collaboration among counties in developing joint proposals to address solid waste issues under a single solid waste proposal, if successful, would require changes to respective county codes in order to implement integrated programs such as collection and shipment of material to one or more processing locations, and enhanced composting to produce foundation soil and agricultural enhancement; and WHEREAS, a statewide single solid waste proposal would promote economic and agricultural sustainability, maximize capital equipment utilization and infrastructure funding; and WHEREAS, a program of this magnitude, processing the state's combined solid waste flow into organic composted media for agricultural enhancement, dramatically facilitates federal funding opportunities through federal programs such as the new Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill, as well as through other federal agency monies that may become available; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City and County of Honolulu that it encourages the counties of Hawaii Maui, Kauai, and Honolulu to collaborate and work with the state to develop a joint process to address the state's solid waste issues through integrated programs that promote economic and agricultural sustainability for the State of Hawaii; and 5/4/2009