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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN EMC 2017/08/15 2016-2018 Committee on Environmental Management th 6 Session West Hawaiʻi Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Building A Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi August 15, 2017 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Environmental Management was ORDER: called to order at 10:18 a.m. in the Council Chambers, Kailua-Kona, by Ms. Eileen O’Hara, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Eileen O’Hara, Chair (via videoconference from Hilo) Mr. Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III, Vice Chair Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member Ms. Karen Eoff, Member Mr. Dru Mamo Kanuha, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) Ms. Valerie T. Poindexter, Member Ms. Jennifer Ruggles, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: The following individual registered to speak and came forward when called by the Chair: Maya Dolena: Res. 250-17 (Comm. 382), in support. (representing Aloha Animal Advocates) CHR. O’HARA: Thank you very much. All right, seeing no other public testifiers, I will close the public testimony. We do have some communications from the public that we received in our pinkie file. COMMUNI-The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. (There were none.) CHR. O’HARA: I do believe that Cyanotech is represented in Kona and I’m not sure if they are doing a presentation, if they are just going to be here to answer questions? Could someone in Kona respond? EMC-6 August 15, 2017 MR. HENRICKS: Madam Chair, there is nobody from Environmental Management or the corporation here in Kona. CHR. O’HARA: All right, thank you. We do have the Department of Environmental Management represented here in Hilo if there are questions about the resolution as we move forward, just for everyone’s information. So, Clerk, could you please read in Resolution 250-17. ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. Res. 250-17: AUTHORIZES THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO ENTER INTO A RIGHT-OF-ENTRY AGREEMENT WITH CYANOTECH CORPORATION TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE KEALAKEHE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR THE HABITAT CONSERVATION OF HAWAIIAN STILTS AND HAWAIIAN COOTS Would allow for a three-year access agreement with Cyanotech Corporation so that it may perform predator control, as an effort to support the recovery of these endangered waterbirds. Reference: Comm. 382 Intr. by: Ms. Eoff Motion to Approve: Ms. Eoff moved to recommend adoption of Res. 250-17. Seconded by Mr. Richards. CHR. O’HARA: Ms. Eoff, do you want to speak to this first? MS. EOFF: Thank you, Ms. O’Hara. We do have Comm. 382.1 which is a letter from Biologist, Scott Waddington, who explains their methods of predator control. But if Environmental Management is available in Hilo, I would ask them to come to the table and give us an explanation, please. CHR. O’HARA: Will do, Diane is coming up. Our Deputy Director of Environmental Management is here. (Note: At this time Deputy Environmental Management Director Diane Noda came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MS. NODA: Good morning. Diane Noda, Deputy Director, Department of Environmental Management. Scott Waddington, who is with Hoʻomaluo LLC, is a contractor who would be working for Cyanotech Corporation to do the predator control for Cyanotech’s mitigation of their habitat plan at our wastewater facility, Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant. Page 2 EMC-6 August 15, 2017 So his letter, that is that Comm. 382.1, explains that the three predators that he would be working to control would be the mongoose, cats and cattle egrets. And so it has a three-pronged approach to remove predators such as the mongoose would be one, trap mounted inside plywood boxes built to manufacturer specifications, and that the animals caught in the traps would be taken to the Hawaiʻi Humane Society and euthanized. And cats caught in the traps would be euthanized if they are deemed unadoptable. The second part is to deploy “Havahart” live traps to catch any cats if they are observed on the site and then as the past, taken to the Hawaiʻi Humane Society. As far as the cattle egrets, Mr. Waddington had let me know that’s a recent but big problem. Like sometimes there’s like 80 or a 100 that come and nest—I mean to sleep there, basically. And so he proposes to be there at dawn when there’s no one else except maybe one of our County workers to open the gate. And he proposes to utilize a pre-charged neumatic air gun, which is nearly silent, has an adjustable velocity, and he says, “Because it uses air, it has no restrictions on its use or carrying it.” And cattle egret removal would begin before sunrise. If there are any persons either inside or outside the fence line, then he would not use this. He also did inform me that he has gone through the DNLR (State Department of Land and Natural Resources) training and he has a license to carry a gun. Even though it’s not required for this air gun. So, that’s what he sets forth in his written communication. CHR. O’HARA: Thank you, and Ms. Eoff, you have the floor. MS. EOFF: No, I’ll yield at this time. I just wanted that on the record. But for the most part, cats are controlled through the Havahart live traps and are taken to Hawaiʻi Humane Society. And they mention in this communication that has been their method in the past as well. CHR. O’HARA: Okay, thank you. Is there anyone else who has questions for Ms. Noda from here? Okay. Ms. Ruggles. MS. RUGGLES: Thank you. Will there be any poison used? MS. NODA: Not that Mr. Waddington has mentioned to me, and not that’s forth in his letter. So I don’t believe so, although I didn’t ask him that specifically. I can relay the information to the Committee, if you’d like to know that, certainly. MS. RUGGLES: Yeah, I think that was a concern, if there will be poison used how will the impact of other animals consuming the poison be mitigated? MS. NODA: Okay, I can find that out. I mean I can confirm that. Page 3 EMC-6 August 15, 2017 MS. RUGGLES: Thank you, and I have another question. What exactly does the air gun do? MS. NODA: Scares them off, is my understanding. I had a very limited conversation. He was just enumerating these things, so I didn’t ask him for the specifics. But I know he did explain that the cattle egrets, when they come they eat the endangered bird’s eggs. MS. RUGGLES: I see. Okay. I have no more questions. Thank you. CHR. O’HARA: Are there any more questions from our colleagues in Kona? MR. KANUHA: Yes. Dru. CHR. O’HARA: Mr. Kanuha. MR. KANUHA: Thank you, Eileen. I mean, thank you Chair. Diane, is there currently—does the department have a program, or has the department had a program before for these mitigation efforts to control these, you know, these predators? MS. NODA: My understanding from our Wastewater Division is that initially the State was taking care of the predator control. I believe about a year ago had then delegated that responsibility to our Wastewater Division and so our Wastewater Division has been doing it since then. I should also point out, Scott Waddington has a contract with our department, and he actually goes on to our Kealakehe site already to count the Hawaiian birds. And so for a short time last fall, he was voluntarily assisting with the predator control. But right now primarily it’s the responsibility of our division workers at that site. MR. KANUHA: Okay. So, so this will kind of formalize that agreement with this person—what’s his name, Scott? MS. NODA: Scott Waddington, he’s a Biologist who submitted the letter. He actually would be contracted by Cyanotech Corporation to do the predator control. And Cyanotech Corporation will be paying Mr. Waddington to do the predator control as part of Cyanotech’s habitat plan. MR. KANUHA: Okay, and currently— MS. NODA: It’s just— MR. KANUHA: Oh, go right ahead, sorry. Page 4 EMC-6 August 15, 2017 MS NODA: Cyanotech wishes to do this on our County Kealakehe property because, as his letter sets out, about 75 or 80 percent of all water birds found in West Hawaiʻi are at the County Kealakehe site. MR. KANUHA: And the places that they’re nesting, these endangered species, obviously are in these ponds; what do you call them? MS. NODA: Lagoons. I’m not sure if that—that’s what I call them. Yeah, that shallow area surrounding the lagoons. MR. KANUHA: Has there been any talk of maybe making a separate area specifically for these birds so that they’re not nesting you know, +in our wastewater lagoons. MS. NODA: I am not aware of any discussions on that. MR. KANUHA: Okay. MS. NODA: But I will jot it down. MR. KANUHA: Thanks. I’m just trying to see, you know, it kind of seems—I don’t know, I won’t go there. But I’m—okay, thank you. MS. NODA: Okay. CHR. O’HARA: Thank you, Mr. Kanuha. Anyone else over in Kona wanting to speak? Raise your hand or shout if, so. Okay, Mr. Richards. MR. RICHARDS: I hope that was—thank you, Chair. I hope that was a good form of communication. Yeah, I’ll just comment real quickly on this. As we as the County, as we as a State, pay more attention to our endangered species, mitigation of our predators especially for our ground nesting birds, that’s going to be a problem. And I hear what Mr. Kanuha is saying about locations that these birds choose, but that is their choosing. And I think we just have to be mindful of that when we make our decision. So we’ll be looking for more management of our predators when it comes to these endangered species. So, thank you. I yield. CHR. O’HARA: Alright, anyone else from Council wanting to speak to this issue? Okay then, I will wrap it up before we take our vote. And Ms. Noda, my concerns—I have some technical questions and I don’t know that you’re the person to direct them to. And so this will come before the full Council if approved at this meeting, and it would be really great if Mr. Waddington could appear before us at the Council meeting, because there are some technical questions relating to a) the location; and b) you have two alternative ways of dealing with feral cats that are spelled out in this Page 5 EMC-6 August 15, 2017 presentation. And one is more acceptable than the other. So, I want to know exactly what we’re approving as we move forward with this, and I think those questions are best directed to Mr., or perhaps Dr. Waddington. So perhaps he can appear when it comes before Council. MS. NODA: Okay, I’ll make that request. CHR. O’HARA: I appreciate it. Meantime, hearing no other or seeing no other discussion on this, can I call for a vote? Vote on Res. 250-17: The motion to recommend adoption of Res. 228-17 was (Approved) carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kanuha, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Ruggles, and Chair O’Hara – 9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) CHR. O’HARA: Alright, thank you very much. With that, can I have a motion to adjourn. Page 6 EMC-6 August 15, 2017 ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 10:35 a.m., Ms. Ruggles moved to adjourn MENT: the meeting. Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kanuha, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Ruggles, and Chair O'Hara—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. O'HARA: We are adjourned. Approved: gei4ot 2-4 Ms. Eileen O'Hara, Chair (Date) Environmental Management Committee EO/vc Page 7