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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-08-27 Environmental Management Commission MinutesENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES August 27, 2014 Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, HI Sort Station and South Hilo Sanitary Landfill, Hilo, HI COMMISSIONERS ALSO PRESENT: Anne Lee, Chair PRESENT: Joy Cash Thom Randle, Vice Chair Nancy Cook -Lauer Jeffry Fear Christine Dochin Bruce Lim Elaine Warner (joined at Site Visits) Trina Nahm -Mijo Susie Osborne STAFF: BJ Leithead Todd, Director Sherm Warner Sharron Henry, Secretary Amy Self, Deputy Corporation Counsel 1. CALL TO ORDER & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Commission Chair Anne Lee called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. and announced the location of the site visits during this meeting. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 23, 2014 MEETING: Commissioner Susie Osborne moved to approve the July 23, 2014 minutes as written. Commissioner Thom Randle seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Lee, Lim, Nahm -Mijo, Osborne, Randle and Warner voting yes. 3. APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA: None 4. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA: Christine Dochin of Pacific Waste provided additional information on School Recycling. - Mixed paper and cardboard recycling are currently included in the rubbish contracts for South Hilo and Kona public schools. - Recycling bins are furnished at no charge to other public schools and are maintained by the schools. - Director Leithead Todd suggested the commission submit letters to the Department of Education and the Board of Education requesting that recycling be expanded through all Big Island schools on future contracts. This item will be added to the September agenda. Joy Cash expressed that she would like to see more chippers added to mulch and compost green waste debris from Tropical Storm Iselle ( Iselle). She was assured that the County was working with the State Department of Health and County Department of Public Works in hauling and mulching the debris. The commission will assist the department in working to identify safety risks to public health; requesting the State Legislature to fund programs to eradicate, control and maintain hazardous trees such as the Albizia that caused a great amount of damage during Iselle. This item will be placed on the next agenda for further discussion. 5. CORRESPONDENCE /REPORTS /DISCUSSION: ■ Director's Report (attached to original minutes): ISELLE INFORMATION: - The department participated in a mock hurricane drill in June with Civil Defense, National Guard and HELCO readying for the hurricane season which assisted the county in their efforts during County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Iselle. Department recommendations following Iselle: • Designate debris sites around the island and have them preapproved by the Department of Health. • Produce and maintain an inventory of potential sites for debris and quarry locations. • Emergency, health and safety should be addressed in the Community Development Plans (CDP). • The department is reviewing generation needs and portable equipment placement. The Emergency Operations Plan will be updated accordingly and will be brought to the commission for review /comment. Current Legislation EMC and Director sent comments on 6/16/14 on both Bills 194 and 195. Secretary will follow up with Council Services regarding agendizing Bill 195 at a future Finance Committee meeting. Bill 194 passed Council and was approved on 6/04/14. Wastewater Division 1. COMPLIANCE: A. Treatment and Disposal: - Ulu Wini Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was privately designed and built and is now being turned over to DEM WWD. - WWD is working with the designer and Department of Health (DOH) to come into compliance with permits and regulations. - WWD responded to DOH on 8/05/14 describing course of actions taken or to be taken to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. - Currently operating expenses are being shared 50150 by the County and the contractor managing the housing, Hope Services. 4. WASTEWATER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: A. Nd'dlehu Large Capacity Cesspool Replacement: - Another site is now being considered. - The Director, WWD Chief and WWD Deputy Chief are accompanying Councilmember Ford on a visit to the Honoka'a wastewater facility so she will have a better understanding of a system like the one to be built in Nd'dlehu. - A community meeting will be scheduled when the Draft Environmental Assessment is issued for public comment. - It was noted that the Ka'u Community Development Plan (CDP) did not include a wastewater system. B. Pahala Large Capacity Cesspool Replacement - Flow design is causing sewer line back -ups. To do an intermediate fix or a complete fix /redo at one time is being currently determined by the WWD. C. North Kona Sewer & Effluent Reuse Upgrade: - State DOT tentatively anticipates construction to start during the end of 2014 or early 2015. E. Kealakehe Aeration Upgrade and Sludge Removal: Department is responding to a bid protest before it can award the contract. DEM continues to work with Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Queen Lili`uokalani Trust (QLT) to provide reuse water for the Maka'eo project. DEM is also working with DPR to provide reuse water for the Kealakehe Regional Park. G. Wastewater Equipment Replacement Projects - All lines and equipment continue to be examined on a regular basis. H. Sewer Rate Study Update: - The study is being finalized and then the department will request a rate increase from council. County of Aawai `i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer_ Solid Waste Division 1. OPERATIONS - Roll off bins were provided to Vacationland Subdivision due to the extreme damage caused by the surf surge from Iselle. - A Household Hazardous Waste event was provided to the lower Puna area on Saturday. 2. ADMINISTRATION - Mike Kaha began as Deputy Solid Waste Division Chief on August 18th. - Currently recruiting for an Environmental Compliance position. 3. SOLID WASTE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS - Volcano /Glenwood Transfer Station Improvements: We expect to receive 60% design drawings before the end of August. A storage shed and water tank requested by the Volcano community will be included in the design. The department will need: - DOH approval and possibly an amended permit with revised site map - Identification of stored chemicals to be reviewed and approved by DOH - Council approval since it will be for private used on public property - Indemnification Agreement - Determination of site access and hours of use. 5. RECYCLING SECTION - Commissioner Osborne suggested that the department charge a fee for mulch that would produce additional revenue for the SWD. The Director explained that avoided costs such as saving air space and landfill diversion to save landfill space was also a consideration. In the future, the department wants to decentralize the mulch sites to make them more convenient for residents. Commission Member District Update Reports — includes information obtained from meetings with council members and district residents since the last commission meeting: - District 2: Commissioner Randle met with Council Chair Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto asked what the cost estimate would be to accept tires at disposal events like the household hazardous waste events. The Director indicated that the County would be receiving $6000 from the State to fund community tire clean -ups. The commissioners expressed their support of Director Leithead Todd and their sincere appreciation for her work as department director and also the additional work she did during Iselle. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Continued discussion regarding the Update and Phase Summary of Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) R -1 Upgrade There is a long history of the county's effort to enter into partnerships to reuse wastewater from Kealakehe WWTP beginning in the 1990's: - When the plant was still under construction, the plan was to use effluent to water a new golf course at Kealakehe. The golf course was not built. - The county then negotiated with Kohanaiki to encourage the project to develop a delivery system to water the Kohanaiki golf course but this effort failed when the developer decided not to proceed. - The county invested $3.3 million into the state's Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway widening project to install pipes to transmit effluent from Kealakehe Parkway to Kohanaiki Industrial Park area. This project has been stalled for years by archaeological issues and community concerns so we continue to wait for construction to begin. - The county is now making new plans to utilize reuse water to irrigate the new park that is being planned for the Old Kona airport and to provide reuse water for irrigation of some Queen Lili`uokalani Trust projects as needed. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. - A master plan is also being developed that includes preliminary engineering to upgrade the Kealakehe plant to RI standard and to reduce nutrients discharged into the environment. Continued discussion of the Sludge Removal RFP Update and Options for Sludge Reuse Deferred to next meeting. 7. NEW BUSINESS - None 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - Site visit to Kaiser Wastewater Treatment Facility - Solid Waste site visits: transfer stations, East Hawai'i Organics Facilities - Wastewater treatment plant site visits: Hilo, Kula`imano, Papa`ikou 9. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS September 24 WHCC Community Meeting Hale (Bldg G) Kailua -Kona, HI October 22 Aupuni Center Conf Room, Hilo, HI November 26 WHCC Community Meeting Hale (Bldg G) Kailua -Kona, HI December No meeting Meeting recessed at 11:16 a.m. for participants to travel to the site visit location. 10. TOUR OF THE SORT STATION AND SOUTH HILO SANITARY LANDFILL Meeting resumed at 11:30 a.m. at the Sort Station. Greg Goodale, SWD Chief, provided operational information and the group walked the exterior of the building. The group then traveled to the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill and were escorted to the top of the landfill where Goodale provided information regarding landfill operation. 11. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Warner made a motion to adjourn. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Nahm -Mijo and it passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Lee, Lim, Nahm -Mijo, Osborne, Randle and Warner voting yes. Meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitte4,by: SHARRON HENRY Environmental Management Secretary FORMAT NOTE: ACTION ITEMS ARE IN BOLD PRINT (MOTIONS AND ITEMS REQUIRING ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR FUTURE MEETINGS). County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer,