HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0462.002 2018-2020 PlAweemc
COMM, 4&E
Murashige, Laura
From: Cory Harden <333cory@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2019 7:09 PM
To: Richards,Tim; David, Maile; Lee Loy, Sue;Villegas, Rebecca; Kierkiewicz,Ashley;Chung,
Aaron;Council Testimony; Eoff, Karen; Poindexter, Valerie; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt
Subject: Sept 17 waste/energy
comments on Resolution 301: waste and energy tol
for Agriculture, Water, Energy, &Environmental Management Committee
2:30 PM Tuesday, September 17, 2019 Kona chambers
from Cory Harden, Hilo 333corykgrnail.com
I have three concerns about this resolution.
I -It has potential to lead to an incinerator.
Past incinerator proposals have failed after community outcry about environmental impacts and cost.
In 2008, County Council voted down the Wheelabrator proposal--$125 million. Six years later, Mayor Billy
Kenoi finally gave up on a second incinerator proposal--$100 million.
Incinerators produce harmful smokestack emissions and toxic ash residue that are often handled inadequately.
Compared to up-cycling and recycling, incinerators waste far more of the energy used to make products--
extracting raw materials, combining them into products, and shipping products to consumers.
Taxpayers are often promised that incinerator companies will pay for the incinerators. But the companies get
their money back by charging for every pound of rubbish. Some require "put or pay' —if there's not enough
rubbish, the County still pays a set amount. Obviously,this discourages recycling.
Also, HELCO doesn't really need rubbish to generate energy—it has many other choices, and retiring its old
fossil-fuel plants would be costly,
2 - This resolution should go to the Commission on Environmental Management before this committee votes on
it. The Commission has people with expertise, and a less formal setting,to allow in-depth exploration of the
issues.
3 -This resolution should be submitted as a possible addition to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan
(ISWMP). The current draft of the ISWMP does not seem to include any waste/energy goals.
The resolution mentions the ISWMP, but does not mention that an update, as required by the State every ten
years, was just drafted. Writing that draft took an entire year of work by the Solid Waste Advisory Committee,
which went over the previous plan with a fine-tooth comb. The draft still needs to be reviewed by State
Department of Health and receive public comments at the end of the year. So it's a great vehicle for evaluating
how this resolution fits into the big picture.
Mahalo.
Comm. N&..
Ref. To: VIF(MEMG ,
Ref.pate .SEP 16 2019.