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Home My WebLink About2026-08-26 Environmental Management Commission Agenda County of Hawai‘i ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION 345 Kekūanāoʻa St. Suite 41 • Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 • Ph: (808) 961-8083 • Fax: (808) 961-8086 Erica Perez Chair Justin Canelas Vice Chair C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Mayor Daniel Girvan, P. E. Director, Department of Environmental Management 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, August 26, 2026 TIME: 9:00 a.m. IN PERSON: Kona Council Chambers (Building A), West Hawai‘i Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-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, please submit written testimony before 12:00 noon on the business day prior to the meeting by (1) email to cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov or (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 public 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR June 24, 20261 III. PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA The public may provide testimony at this time or at the time the agenda item is called. Public testimony must be related to an item on the agenda and pursuant to Commission 1 II: Draft Minutes – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/157111/2026-06- 24%20Environmental%20Management%20Commission%20Minutes_draft.pdf County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 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. UPDATES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) 1. Solid Waste Updates: a. On July 8th, Council committee voted to advance Resolution 594-26 for the county to enter into a cooperative agreement with USDA to conduct control operations of feral animals at the Hilo Reload facility and Hilo Wastewater Plant.2 b. On August 8th, work will begin at the Glenwood Transfer Station to repair and replace the railings. Repair work will be conducted on closed days. There will be bay closures at times which can cause wait time delays. c. On July 23rd, EPA and DOH conducted a site inspection at the Puʻuanahulu Landfill. d. On July 28th, the Annual Operating Report (AOR) was submitted to DOH. 2. Wastewater Division Updates: a. Carollo Engineers Draft Wastewater Facilities Plan and Draft Cesspool Conversion Evaluation Report Presentations.3 b. Summary of findings for the Preliminary Engineering Report for Aliʻi Drive Sewer Line Extension.4 V. NEW BUSINESS 1. EMC review of the sewer rate Bill 183, to discuss comments and recommendations and plan to submit prior to the October 2nd deadline at noon, pursuant to Hawaiʻi County Code § 2-207(c-d).5 2. Review of Priority Projects submitted by DEM in the Draft FY2027 Intended Use Plan (IUP) and Strategy to Finance Remaining Projects.6 2 IV.1.a.: Resolution 594-26 – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157646&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments 3 IV.2.a.: Draft Wastewater Facilities Plan and Cesspool Conversion Evaluation EMC Presentation – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157647&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments 4 IV.2.b.: Preliminary Engineering Report – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157648&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments 5 V.1.: Sewer Rate Bill 183 – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157649&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments 6 V.2.: Draft FY 2027 Intended Use Plan – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157650&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 3. Review of the Act 217 Sewer Expansion Overlay Tool and Discussion on DEM’s expansion data provided on Potential Project Areas Identified as Under Evaluation (E) or Planned (P). 4. Civil Beat Article regarding the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharge and into Lava Fields and Potential Fines.7 VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Current consultant list and projects underway by DEM.8 2. DEM Director to respond to the Sewer Rate Study presentation comments by the EMC on June 24, 2026, and to discuss the path forward regarding the Sewer ordinance.9 VII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 1. Follow up on action items determined today. 2. Other (Commissioners may suggest items they would like placed on the next agenda.) VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. The EMC has Commissioner vacancies for10: a. District 2 – South Hilo11 b. District 5 – Upper Puna c. District 7 – South Kona d. District 8 – North Kona 2. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Puna Conference Room. Please contact the Board Secretary or review the agenda posted on the County Calendar within six days of the next meeting for confirmation. 3. See current schedule for EMC meetings for 2026.12 IX. ADJOURNMENT 7 V.4.: Civil Beat Article – https://www.civilbeat.org/?p=1791118&utm_source=Civil+Beat+Master+List&utm_campaign= 877ac56d8b- EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_05_12_05_31_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_- ec21c6ffa7-559309225&mc_cid=877ac56d8b&mc_eid=52b6ca95d9 8 VI.1.: Current DEM Project List – https://www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/projects 9 VI.2.: Sewer Rate Study Presentation – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=157653&dbid=1&repo=PublicDoc uments 10 VIII.1: Boards and Commissions – https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and- commissions 11 VIII.1.a-d: District Map – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/155362/Hawaii%20County%20Council%20D istrict%20Overview%20Map.pdf 12 VIII.3: 2026 schedule – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/152898/Page1.aspx County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 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 embers 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 Environmental Management, 345 Kekūanāoʻa Street, Suite 41, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720, or emailed to cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov. Notice to lobbyists: If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawaiʻi County Clerk within five days of becoming a lobbyist. [Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawaiʻi County Code.] A lobbyist means “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 2-91.3(a)(6), Hawaiʻi County Code.] Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720.