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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 193 10/26/1987 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS DATE: October 26 , 1987 PLACE : Councilroom TIME : 9 :00 a .m . Chairman and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Public Works, to which was referred Resolution No . 330-87 , reports as follows: The purpose of Resolution No . 330-87 is: to recognize the merits of waste-to-energy facilities for municipal solid waste disposal for Hawaii County, particularly for West Hawaii and to direct the Mayor and the Department of Public Works to commence with plans to construct a waste-to-energy facility in West Hawaii . Your committee reviewed Resolution No . 330-87 on July 28 , 1987 . Your committee finds that this County 's West Hawaii solid waste landfill located at Kealakehe , Kona , is rapidly reaching its capacity. Both current and proposed developments in West Hawaii further compound and accelerate our capacity problems . Your committee also finds that the technology for the disposal of waste by incineration has now been perfected and that incineration of municipal solid waste with energy recovery has become the most widely accepted alternative to landfills across the country. Your committee also finds that the production of energy from municipal solid waste is consistent with our State 's position on energy self sufficiency and the development of alternate energy sources . Your committee had questions on what kind of waste-to-energy system would be the most workable and referred these questions to the Department of Public Works . The Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works responded in Communication 1306 on October 9 , 1987 , with copies of what he considers to be the two most conclusive publications on waste-to-energy systems . Your Committee has reviewed these publications , namely, American City & County, Resource Recovery Report, Communication Channels , Inc . , August 1987 , and Department of Public Works, County of Hawaii , Overview of Small-Scale Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Systems for the County of Hawaii , October 1987 . At the October 26 , 1987 meeting of the Public Works Committee , the Department of Public Works testified that it has contracted with R. M. Towill of Honolulu for a $100 ,000 study to help identify one site that can accommodate a new landfill and a waste-to-energy facility in Kona . The study will also cover an environmental impact statement and a preliminary engineering study for a new landfill . The study is focusing on the Puuanahulu area . PWC REPORT 1';O . 193 ADOPTED : NOV 4 1987, pWC- 193 Page 2 October 26 , 1987 The Department of Public Works testified that, to date , it has done only preliminary research and familiarization in developing alternatives to landfills . Expert advice on technology and financing will be needed from a consultant . An estimated additional amount of $100 ,000 will be needed for an environmental impact assessment and a preliminary engineering study to determine the best process for a waste-to-energy facility in the geographical area of West Hawaii . The Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works , when questioned by a committee member if Public Works is considering a proposal for a waste-to-energy facility by Bouvet and Associates , answered affirmatively. Your committee asked if there are private sources that would assume the cost of the planning design for a waste-to-energy facility. The Department of Public Works testified that when it puts out a request for proposals for a waste-to-energy plant , it will receive proposals from several different people and wants to evaluate the proposals independently of any proposer . Your committee questioned the estimated cost for landfills in East and West Hawaii cited in the Department of Public Works Overview of Small-Scale Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Systems for the County of Hawaii . Table 2 in Appendix H shows an estimated cost per ton for landfill operation in West Hawaii , which is more than three times higher than the present annualized costs for East Hawaii (Hilo ) . The Department of Public Works testified that the West Hawaii proposed figures are for a future landfill that operates satisfactorily and that excavation in the lava of West Hawaii is more costly than in East Hawaii . The present annualized cost for the Hilo landfill does not include equipment replacement, adequate staffing or development cost . Concerns over which district in West Hawaii will be used for the waste-to-energy facility also were heard . The Department of Public Works testified that it is presently looking for a site and has defined an area of 2 ,400 acres of State land at Puuanahulu as the area in which a 50-acre site will be located . The Department of Public Works also testified that it is making a responsible decision and must deal with such factors as aquifers , leaching, wind direction, and community input . The Department of Public Works wants to locate the proposed landfill and waste-to-energy facility in a way that will have minimal visual and operational impact on the area , which is now an undisturbed area . The Department of Public Works has not yet filed for an underground injection control line and may have to revise the line . Your committee heard concerns about the site selection process and about the amount of time it has taken so far . The Department of Public Works was urged to select a site so that the community could respond to the location of the proposed site . pWC- 193 Page 3 October 26 , 1987 Your committee also heard concerns about cars and rubbish which are dumped along the roads because there is no landfill site for them . Your committee also heard concerns on emissions , specifically on the emission problems of Oahu 's proposed H-power waste-to-energy facility . Your committee understands from Public Works Department testimony that changes in Environmental Protection Agency emission regulations or changes in the EPA ' s interpretation of the regulations has raised the cost of the proposed H-power facility by increasing requirements for scrubbing equipment . The EPA is apparently still in the formulation stage for emission regulations for waste-to-energy facilities and is handling standards on a case-by-case basis . Your Committee on Public Works is in accord with the purpose of Resolution No . 330-87 and recommends its ad ion by the County Council . • M^ •LE K . LAI , C' IRWOMAN (Z -411}6PL'CL{ AA. L-do RUSSELL S. KOKUBU , VICE CHAIRMAN FRANK DE LUZ III , MEMBER • • no, TAKASHI DOMINGO, MEMB ROBERT N. HERKES, MEMBER LA/TW