Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-25 Environmental Management Commission Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES March 25, 2015 West Hawaii Civic Center Community Hale, Kailua-Kona, HI COMMISSIONERS ALSO PRESENT: Thom Randle, Chair PRESENT: Georjean Adams Jeffry Fear Christine Dochin Anne Lee Noah Dodd Susan Osborne Trish Gerbo Sherm Warner Kristine Kubat Sam Robinson EXCUSED: Trina Nahm-Mijo Margaret Wille, Council District 9 STAFF: BJ Leithead Todd,Director Robin Bauman,Business Manager Sharron Henry, Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER&ANNOUNCEMENTS: Commission Chair Thom Randle called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. Commissioners and staff introduced themselves to the guests. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 28,2015 MEETING: Commissioner Sherm Warner moved to approve the January 28,2015 minutes. Commissioner Anne Lee seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear,Lee, 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: Margaret Wille, District 9 councilmember and Vice Chair of the Council Environmental Management Committee distributed the following legislation(attached to original minutes): - Resolution 525-14 urging solid waste diversion rate increase -passed Council October 15, 2014 - Bill 32 rewarding residents who separate recyclables and compostables from landfill refuse agendized for the 3/31/15 Environmental Management Council Committee meeting - Bill 33 regarding disposal of recyclables agendized for the 3/31/15 Environmental Management Council Committee meeting. Commissioner Osborne noted that the Council has authority to mandate haulers to provide recycling. - Resolution 84-15 relating to organic compost operations agendized for the 3/31/15 Environmental Management Council Committee meeting - Resolution 87-17 relating to zero waste division programs agendized for the 3/31/15 Environmental Management Council Committee meeting. Councilmember Wille explained that she was introducing solid waste legislation to start the discussion on how to manage our solid waste and to encourage moving toward a zero waste effort. Also distributed were (attached to original minutes): - Energy Justice Network Zero Waste presentation relating to solid waste management - A Study to Identify Local Alternatives to Shipping Non-Deposit Glass out of the State of Hawai`i—State of Hawai`i Auditor's Report No. 14-17, December 2014 - Request for Proposals No. 2912 for Landfill diversion Program Councilmember Wille discussed possible ways to implement a Pay as You Throw program that County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. would support composting, recycling and diversion from the landfill. Councilmember Wille told the commission that she is committed to sustainability for the county and for the department. Outreach Educators Noah Dodd and Sam Robinson spoke of their educational programs with the HPA students, including gardening and recycling. Five-stream color-coded bins have been provided to the school to educate students on recycling and source separation. Dodd supports: - Community base composting vs. long term contracts for large composters - Funding distributed between districts for zero waste programs - More than a single-stream recycling program Dodd and Robinson are working with Recycle Hawaii and schools such as Kohala Middle School, and their"Let's Grow Hilo"project, to educate students on zero waste and composting. Robinson would like the State Department of Education to amend its trash disposal contracts to include recycling in all schools. Chair Randle advised that the commissioners have written to the Board of Education requesting this amendment and have had no response. Kristine Kubat of Recycle Hawaii, speaking on the department budget, distributed a document entitled"ESTIMATED REVENUES" (attached to original minutes). She suggested: - Establishment of a department budget task force to include commissioners and vendors to assist the department in budget review/preparation. She does not feel that gathering vendors to provide input on the budget is a possible conflict of interest and feels it is important to find an acceptable way to have group discussion on the department budget. - She supports the county funding of solid waste education and recycling programs. 5. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION: • Director's Report(attached to original minutes): Final confirmation of Laura Neff to the Environmental Management Commission, District 1, is agendized on the April 1, 2015 council meeting. WASTEWATER DIVISION - Bill 20, adding$4,950,000 for Hilo Ocean Outfall Assessment and repair,passed Council on March 4, 2015. The county is still awaiting the required Department of Army(DOA)Nationwide Permit to begin the project. - Lono Kona Sewer Improvement District: Draft EA is out for public comment and a contract is being executing with a design consultant. SOLID WASTE DIVISION Resolution 126-15 - Relates to a multi-year agreement for furnishing organic waste diversion operations in West Hawai`i and East Hawai`i and is agendized for the March 31, 2015 Finance Council Committee meeting. - Current contract ends in December and contains a one-year extension option. - The RFP is ready for distribution once the resolution is approved by Council. Upon vendor submittal and selection, the vendor will need to order equipment to begin the operation by December 15, 2015. County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. June 27th Lava Flow Update: - Currently the lava is approximately 8 miles from Hwy. 130 with no activity in the Pahoa area. - The Pahoa transfer station reopened March 1, 2015 with collection of green waste, rubbish and 2-bin recycling. Do-It-Yourself(DIY) Used Motor Oil Recycling - DOH has sent notification that funding for this program is likely to end with FY2015. At this time no allocation of County funding has been included in the FY2016 budget. Electronics Recycling - DOH has provided grant funds up to $100K for FY 2015. - The county awarded a contract to Mr. K's Recycling and Redemption based on IFB 3089 for operating private-site collections/recycling in Hilo. Service started January 1, 2015. - Procurement IFB 3190 was issued for West Hawai`i but there were no bidders. - Residents in West Hawaii have the option of recycling at the one-per-month events but businesses are limited to Mr. K's in Hilo. Green Waste Diversion - Commercial green waste tipping fees will become effective July 1, 2015. - Haulers will be directed to take their loads to the WHOF to be weighed for payment. - The department is looking at ways to expand mulching services to various transfer stations. - Tipping fees provide 25% of the Solid Waste budget with the remaining 75% coming from the County General Fund Budget/Funding/Department Needs The Director advised: - A Budget Task Force, as suggested by Ms. Kubat, is governed by Sunshine Law and would require funding - Although an update is not mandated at this time,the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP)is in need of updating and approximately$500,000 will be needed for this endeavor - $3M to $3.5M for remediation of the old scrap metal area clean-up in Kona - $10M for remediation of the old scrap metal area clean-up in Hilo - Upon completion of the Volcano and Glenwood Transfer Station renovations, funding will be needed to renovate Wai`ohinu. - $14.5M for Kealakehe WWTP sludge removal project - An additional $36M to renovate Kealakehe WWTP to produce R-1 water and $50M to deliver the R-1 water to customers - Additional funds will be needed for purchase of equipment for the Hilo Outfall project to meet EPA requirements - Funding is needed to provide Tire and Used Motor Oil education. - There is State legislation in the current session increasing landfill service fees the counties pay to the State from $.35 to $1.25/ton/month. - Wastewater is in need of additional positions to assist with all the scheduled projects. Commissioner Lee noted the challenges in maintaining wastewater facilities and infrastructures. - Commissioner Fear suggested the State Legislature authorize exemption for privatization of solid waste services. The Konno court decision was explained and discussed as it related to the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill employees. Commission Member District Update Reports—includes information obtained from meetings with council members and district residents since the last commission meeting District 2: Randle met with councilmember Aaron Chung who wanted to know what the procedure was for disposing of medical waste. The medical waste is autoclaved/incinerated and taken to the Hilo landfill where it is treated as special waste and immediately buried. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. District 5: Osborne reports that the residents of Pahoa are thrilled to have the transfer station open again. District 6: Lee reported that the Volcano Transfer Station work is ongoing. District 9:Warner noted that green waste collection is needed in Waimea and Hawi. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None 7. NEW BUSINESS Presentation by Angela Kang regarding the outcomes from the March 9th and 10th,2015 Hawaii Zero Waste Alliance/Zero Waste USA meetings relating to initiatives/projects and developing strategies for a statewide approach for sustainable resource management Postponed per request of Presenter. Presentation/Discussion of solid waste management, composting and current recycling/ diversion issues to include Councilmember Margaret Wille Noah Dodd HPA Zero Waste Pumpkin Patch Event: - Recycling Bins: Industry standard(needed for consistent recycling); supplied by a grant from the school PTA and Recycle Hawaii and fundraising efforts - The event: 10 Stations manned; 10,000 people attended; 900 lbs. of resources was discarded; out of the 900 lbs., 600 lbs. was compost, HIS was 100 lbs. 10%of what was collected went to the landfill,making the diversion ratio 89.9%. New Business Sector Concept: - Progressive Universities and charter schools teaching waste based education standards that people will come from around the world to learn here in Hawai`i. - It will also make more jobs thereby increasing spending here. - Get world renowned facilities working with education divisions in universities and schools— show that there are passionate leaders in these agencies who are willing to invest in that long term goal. - Arcata, California Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary is a good example of what can be done with wastewater by using a marsh system with micro organisms. A system like this allows for environmental management staff and biologists positions to be added to the regular staff. - Zero Waste can bring more money here if we show the world what we can do and it will bring in more jobs. - Shredded cardboard and paper can be used in composting. - If entrepreneurial agencies, along with private organizations like the Sierra Club, see schools and educational facilities stepping up with zero waste programs, they will support these good efforts. - Suggests the recycling bins at the transfer stations are identified by uniform color coding. - Raising funds by selling composting was discussed in relation to regulations. Sam Robinson - The bins are taken to the Farmers Markets in Waimea also. - The tourists are very interested in this system and ask questions to take infoniiation back to their homes. They indicated that the resorts do not provide recycling bins/information. - It would be beneficial to agro-tourism and eco-tourism to have more recycling opportunities. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Kristine Kubat - Upon reviewing the Recycle Hawaii educational outreach contract with county,Kubat feels it doesn't provide effective educational programs. The Dodd and Robinson programs are the examples of what recycling education should be. - The cancellation of the county educational outreach contract is a good opportunity to redesign the educational efforts. - If the agreement is not going to be authorized, it should be decided within 30 days or so and the contract should go back out for competitive bid. - The educational programs should be much better than they are; the students should be provided with hands-on recycling activities. - The system is failing so this is a really good opportunity with the cancellation of this contract for the Department of Environmental Management to be more critical of the current vendor up front who have to compete with other vendors,to have some really first class recycling education programs. - The education programs should focus on Zero Waste,the whole concept, and it should be hands on. - Major events are huge opportunities to educate on Zero Waste, recycling and waste management. - There should be rules put in place now that mandate that all major events are zero waste through the County Research and Development Department County Enrichment and Grants in Aid Programs. - Focus education on all residents and businesses, not just schools. - Only 3% of the solid waste budget is allocated for education. - Huge opportunity that is being missed is that no one is talking about leveraging the money spent on education with private grant funding. Margaret Wille - The cost to Maui County to recycle items is $4 vs. $46 landfilling. Recycling is more cost effective than landfilling. - Most people are getting educated on recycling at the reuse centers. - Landfill issues: The contract for operating the WHSL is the only one per pay landfill contract in the United States so there's no incentive to reduce trash disposal and the Hilo Landfill has short life. - Bill 33 has been introduced at council to start discussion on reducing trucking costs. - Wants to do a pilot composting project in both Hilo and Kona. - There are 2 State bills being heard to allow composting on Ag land. - Will continue working on environmental legislation including take-back and Styrofoam recycling. Review and Discussion of the proposed FY 15-16 Budget - Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget: appropriation does not come with a funding source. - Operating Budget—includes funding course and needs are projected out six years. - Department projects are prioritized by environmental risks,regulatory mandate or lawsuit. - Operating and Maintenance (O&M) costs don't usually appear in the first year of budgeting for employees on new projects or if it is a repair project. - The Hilo Outfall Repair project is a re-appropriation. - Department Budget hearing at Council is scheduled for April 24, 2015, starting at 1:30 p.m. 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - Draft letter to the EPA requesting expediting the permit required for the Hilo Outfall project. - Site visit to Business Services Hawai'i facility—April County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. - Zero Waste presentation—April - Site visit to HPA School Recycling Program-May - Update on Bill 194 procedures—August - Solid Waste site visits: transfer stations, East Hawai'i Organics Facilities - Wastewater treatment plant site visits: Hilo, Papa`ikou 9. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS April 22 Hilo Aupuni Center Conf. Room,Hilo May 27 Kona WHCC Comm. Hale,Kona June 24 Hilo Aupuni Center Conf. Room,Hilo July 22 Kona WHCC Comm.Hale,Kona August 26 Hilo Aupuni Center Conf.Room,Hilo September 23 Kona WHCC Comm.Hale,Kona October 28 Hilo Aupuni Center Conf.Room,Hilo November 25 Kona WHCC Comm.Hale,Kona December No meeting 10. ADJOURNMENT Prior to adjustment, Chair Randle, on behalf of the commission and department, expressed our appreciation to outgoing commissioners Lee and Warner as this is their last meeting. Commissioner Osborne made a motion to adjourn. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Fear and it passed unanimously with members present: Lee,Fear,Osborne,Randle and Warner voting yes. Meeting adjourned at 12.09 p.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted 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.