HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.035 2016-2018 Eileen O'Hara _ "".oF•' • Phone: (808) 965-2712
Council Member .-'ctt ~,`•.+•;• Fax: (808) 961-8912
Council District 4 = N�`i='�1 Email: eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov
Chair: Environmental • •. Vice Chair: Planning Committee and
Management Committee • ATE ..°•++". • Agriculture, Water&Energy
Sustainability Committee
County of Hawaii
Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1402 • Hilo, Hawai`i 96720
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DATE: June 15, 2017
TO: Valerie T. Poindexter, Council Chair
and Members of the Hawai`i County Council
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FROM: r Eileen O'Hara, Council MemberkAJ
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SUBJECT: Report from Bill 13, Styrofoam Reduction, Ad Hoc Committee
Attached please find the Report of the Bill 13, Styrofoam Reduction, Ad Hoc Committee. Please
place this report on the Council agenda for its meeting on June 23, 2017.
Mahalo
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Att.
Comm No. 0 7. 3` 1
Ref. To: •
Ref. Date ,JUN a)
Report for Ad Hoc Committee on the Polystyrene Reduction Bill (Bill 13-17)
Members: Eileen O'Hara (Chair),Tim Richards (Vice Chair), Karen Eoff, and Dru Kanuha
Bill 13-17 was introduced to the County Council by Councilmember Eileen O'Hara in the
Environmental Management Committee on 2/21/17. An amended version (Draft 2) was passed
with 5 "yea" votes, 3 "no" votes and one member absent. Bill 13-17, Draft 2 then moved on to
Councilwith a positive recommendation for a hearing on March 8, 2017. At the Council, Draft 2
was presented. It was decided to postpone the bill at the call of the Chair and form a 4-person
Ad Hoc committee to obtain more information before returning the bill to Council.
April 17- By email, the Chair sent the Ad Hoc Committee members copies of 12 recent and
similarly intended limited polystyrene bans passed at either the municipal or county level, along
with a PowerPoint presentation about Bill 13 and the current draft of the Maui County bill
which passed first read in December 2016 and was still in process at that point.
April 19—Held a face-to-face meeting in the Kailua-Kona conference room of the County
Council offices. Discussion focused on the financial impacts to businesses, dates of
implementation, and methods of identifying unmarked foam containers for the purpose of
enforcement. The Chair reported that EPS (expanded polystyrene) melts and congeals into a
hard plug when dipped in acetone so there appears to be an easy way to identify unmarked
containers. It was decided that due to delays in the bill, dates of implementation needed to be
adjusted. The members of the group decided to do their own independent research on
financial impacts to businesses. Ms. Eoff offered to contact a national group that has supported
development of public policy on polystyrene and send on those contacts should the group need
to consult additional expertise.
May 24-Following the passage of the Maui County limited polystyrene ban, a copy of that final
bill and background information entertained by the Maui Council was disseminated to the Ad
Hoc committee by email.
June 5-The Chair requested assistance from the Hawaii County recycling coordinator and staff
regarding a definition for "recyclables" needed in the bill. The Department of Environmental
Management staff assisted and sent back a definition that can be used in the bill.
June 6-The Chair submitted a transmittal to place the Ad Hoc committee's report on the June
23, 2017 meeting of the Council. The Chair will give the report and recommend that a Draft 3
of the bill containing the new definition for "recyclables", new implementation dates, and
exempting polystyrene egg cartons, be forward to the Environmental Management Commission
for their review at the July meeting of that body.
June 7-A short face-to-face meeting was held of the Ad Hoc committee to bring everyone up
to speed and hash out any new adjustments to the bill.