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Home My WebLink About2025-05-28 EMC Agenda C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D.Erica Perez MayorChair Wesley R. SegawaDorothy Norris Director, Department ofVice Chair Environmental Management County of Hawai‘i ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION -- MEETING AGENDA Pursuant to Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 92, this meeting will be online with a location available to the public. The public may attend either in person, online, or by telephone. DATE:Wednesday, May 28, 2025 TIME:9:00 a.m. IN PERSON:Kona Council Chambers(Building A) West Hawai‘i Civic Center 74--Kona ONLINE: Via Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1612028078 (Meeting ID: 161 202 8078) PHONE: +1 669 254 5252 (Enter the meeting ID, see above) STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: To ensure timely delivery to commissioners, written testimony must be submitted before 12:00 noon on the business day prior to the meeting by (1) email to cohdem@hawaiicounty.govor (2) facsimiles to (808) 961-8086. When submitting written testimony, please specify for which agenda item it is being submitted. All written testimony will be part of the permanent record. Pursuant to HRS §92-3, interested persons who want to provide oral testimony may do so either at the time the Commission takes public statements on items on the agenda, or at the time the specific agenda item is called, subject to applicable statutes and rules of procedure. I.CALL TO ORDER II.ANNOUNCEMENTS: Welcome new Commission Member John Kometani, District 9. 1 II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR February 26, 2025: The Environmental Management Commission will consider approval of the minutes from its meeting held on February 26, 2025. III. PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA: The public may provide testimony related to an item on the agenda: pursuant to Commission Rule 1-5(i)(2), the Chairperson may limit the length of any person’s testimony as long as each speaker is accorded a minimum of three minutes. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Consideration of Draft Letter: Enhancing Workforce Development and Hiring 2 Efforts within the Department of Environmental Management. The Commission will consider whether to adopt the draft letter as comments and recommendations to the Department of Environmental Management and the Hawaii County Council. V. REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE (1.5 hours) 1. Director’s Informational Report: the Department of Environmental Management will provide information on the following topics: 3 A. Legislative session update. B.Budget update: which projects are funded; the dollar amounts of each funded project; and necessary projects that don’t have funding. C. Staffing update across DEM, including a list of vacancies. D. Solid Waste Division Updates: i. Update regarding the trailer study and ban on trailers at the Waihinu transfer station. ii. Update on community outreach for the , and Ppaikou transfer stations. iii. Report on recent County sponsored household hazardous waste events. E. Wastewater Division Updates: i. Update regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrative 4 Orders of Consent levied against the County. ii. Update on Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal and the County’s Emergency 5 Proclamation related to the Treatment Plant. 1 II – Minutes - https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/doc/148619/Page1.aspx 2 IV.1 – Draft Hiring Efforts letter - https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/doc/148620/Page1.aspx 3 V.1.A – DEM 2025 Legislative Report - https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/doc/148698/Page1.aspx 4 V.E.i – EPA AOC – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/148715/Page1.aspx 5 V.E.ii – EP – https://www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3980/3199?arch=1 6 iii.Update on the South Kohala and Puak Cesspool Conversion Plan. iv. Update regarding whether the County will pay for certain lots in Nlehu and Phala to be connected to sewer, i.e., – the purple lots identified in 7 reports to the community. v. Kahaluu Cesspool Study, specifically the South end of the Ali’i Drive conversion area. 8 F. Integrated Wastewater Management Plan Updates. i.Maintenance on Collection Systems and how they are addressing sea level rise. VI. NEW BUSINESS 1.Megan Lamson of Hawaii Wildlife Fund will provide a presentation related to its plastic pollution and removal work in Hawaii. (15 minutes for presentation). 2. Recycle Hawaii Update: Kristine Kubat will provide a presentation regarding Recycle Hawaii’s programs. (15 minutes for presentation) 3. Action item: The Commission will determine whether to recommend that the Department of Environmental Management lift the ban on trailers at the Waihinu 9 transfer station. VII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 1. Commissioners may submit items for consideration on the next agenda to Chair Perez by Monday, June 2, 2025. VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday June 25, 2025, at Puna Conference contact the Board Secretary or review the agenda posted on the County Calendar 10 within six days of the next meeting for confirmation. See the current schedule for 11 EMC meetings for 2025. IX. ADJOURNMENT 6 V.E.iii – South Kohala and Puak - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0779d87eb08549e296ade72f5b33dbbe; --11--3--WW--- 7 V.E.iv – - https://www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/projects/pahala-na-alehu- large-capacity-cesspool-closures 8 V.F – IWMP - https://www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/projects/integrated-wastewater- management-plan 9 VI.3 – Trailer ban draft letter - https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/148622/Page1.aspx 10 VIII.1 – County Calendar - https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/county-calendar 11 VIII.1 - 2025 schedule - https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/148652/Page1.aspx Note:A meeting held by interactive conference technology shall be automatically recessed for up to 30 minutes to restore communication when audiovisual communication cannot be maintained with all members participating in the meeting or with the “in person” location identified in this agenda. The meeting may reconvene when either audiovisual communication is restored, or audio-only communication is established after an unsuccessful attempt to restore audiovisual communication. If it is not possible to reconvene the meeting as provided in this subsection within 30 minutes after an interruption to communication, the meeting will be in recess and will attempt to reconvene at 1:00 p.m. on the same day, using the same meeting ID listed on Page 1 of this agenda. If at that time a quorum of remote members and the in-person members are unable to establish and maintain at least an audio-only connection by 1:15 p.m., then the meeting shall be automatically terminated. The regular meeting place is accessible to persons with disabilities. To request an auxiliary aid or language translation, please call (808) 961-8083 five days prior to the meeting date. Comments may be sent to the Department of emailed to cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov. Notice to lobbyists: of becoming a lobbyist. \[Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2- “any individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more than five hours in any month or $275 in any six-month period for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action by communicating or urging others to communicate with public officials.” \[Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2- the Office of the County Clerk-