HomeMy WebLinkAboutEMC comments to Planning Director re General Plan Draft
County of Hawai‘i
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
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County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
_________
Chair
_________
Vice Chair
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
Ramzi I. Mansour
Director, Department of
Environmental Management
MEMORANDUM
TO: Zendo Kern, Director
Planning Department
FROM: ____, Chair
Environmental Management Commission
DATE: January 24, 2024
SUBJECT: Comments on the Draft of the General Plan for the County of Hawai‘i
The Environmental Management Commission, by approval of a motion on ____, 2024, provides
the following comments to the Draft General Plan:
• Repeal excerpt of Section 4.3: “[The County Department of Environmental Management
(DEM), The WHSL has an estimated lifespan of 100 years with current recycling rates,
as determined by the County in 2019. Higher rates of waste reduction, reuse, and
recycling in the community may extend life expectancy beyond 100 years.]”
o Reason: The lifespan of the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill cannot be estimated
with any reasonable certainty, but all indications are it will be much less than 100
years at current landfilling rates. This edit also removes a sentence fragment.
• Insert new Priority Action 24.i: “Conduct geological and hydrological surveys to ensure
that nearshore waters will be protected from wastewater pollution from future injection
wells.”
o Reason: Injection wells may be a source of nearshore pollution. This action may
maintain County compliance with federal and state environmental requirements.
WORKING DRAFT