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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-27 Environmental Management Commission MinutesENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES May 27, 2015 West Hawai'i Civic Center Community Hale, Kailua-Kona, HI COMMISSIONERS ALSO PRESENT: Thom Randle, Chair PRESENT: Georjean Adams Jeffry Fear Paul Buklarewicz James Fritz Christine Dochin Trina Nahm-Mijo Susan Osborne STAFF: BJ Leithead Todd, Director Amy Self, Deputy Corporation Counsel EXCUSED: Luana Neff Sharron Henry, Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Commission Chair Thom Randle called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m. James Fritz, new commissioner for District 9 was introduced and welcomed. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MARCH 25, 2015 MEETING: Commissioner Jeffry Fear moved to approve the March 25, 2015 minutes. Commissioner Susan Osborne seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Fritz, Osborne, Randle and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA: None 4. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA: Christine Dochin suggested that a welcome packet be provided to all new commissioners to include commission and department/division information. Paul Buklalarewicz, Executive Director of Recycle Hawaii (RH), (1) clarified that Kristine Kubat's testimony at the March 25, 2015 meeting was not on behalf of RH and she is no longer affiliated with RH. He stated that the Outreach Contract that was negotiated in May 2014 between RH and the County was cancelled and the program ended in March, 2015: (2) He also clarified that Noah Dodd and Sam Robinson's school education program was part of the RH Zero Waste Program: (3) He feels that county contracts are competitive: (4) RH feels that all children should be provided hands-on recycling education and stated that the Big Island schools have received this education for the past 3 years: (5) The organizations/agencies that apply for large private grant funding need to provide matching funds. (6) Mr. K's Recycling is the County E -Waste recycling vendor. He is receiving and storing alkaline batteries from residents and is requesting that the County allow him to dispose of these batteries at the Residential Household Hazardous Waste events because, even though he is a commercial business, the batteries are coming from residential customers: (7) If the county would amend its DOH Transfer Station permits to include oil collection, the oil could be collected at the RH reuse centers that are located at some of the county transfer stations. Georjean Adams indicated that alkaline batteries are not hazardous and can be disposed of with regular trash. 5. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION: ■ Director's Report (attached to original minutes): - There are 2 additional engineers in the new FY 15-16 budget: one will be assigned to Solid Waste Division, dedicated to building permit process and other SWD projects as needed; one will be assigned to Wastewater Division, dedicated to building permit process and other WWD projects as needed. - Resolution 126-15 was adopted by council authorizing payment of funds of a later fiscal year and a multi - fiscal year agreement to furnish organic waste diversion operations. Meeting was recessed at 10:05 a.m. for a short break and resumed at 10:09 a.m. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. WASTEWATER DIVISION - SIOM has been identified in the Bond Float for Wastewater projects to include the (1) Hilo Outfall Repair and (2) Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant R-1 Upgrade. A USDA grant may be available through Laiopua 2020 to use toward the R-1 Upgrade. $I 8M will come from State SRF funds and in future years, an additional $36M will be provided by SRF. Until R-1 water is available after upgrade of the KWWTP, the immediate plan is to provide some reuse water (R-2 quality) to DPR and Queen Lili`uokalam Trust (QLT). The department and QLT have been meeting to finalize this plan. After completing and approval of an EA or EIS, the possible start date for Phase 1 of this project is 2017. Phase 2, at a cost of $50M, will provide additional service lines, making the total cost of the project $104M. - QLT will develop its own wastewater facility for future development. - Repair and maintenance of sewer lines is the most costly items for the division. - When the sewer rate study is completed and reviewed by the department, the department intends to ask council for a rate increase. - The Hilo Outfall Repair project is awaiting permit approval as the EPA required a modification of the permit application submitted. - The Papa`ikou WWTP spill did not go into the ocean. DOH was notified and no public notice was required. SOLID WASTE DIVISION Landfill Tinning Fees: - The department is in discussion with the Mayor regarding increasing landfill tipping fees on an incremental time schedule. Green Waste Diversion - The estimated additional $.5M which will be brought in from the green waste tipping fees, effective July 1, 2015, will allow the department to provide green waste diversion areas at additional transfer stations and to possibly investigate on-site mulching contracts. Transfer Stations: - Volcano Transfer Station Repair Project: Cement has been poured. Hope to have the site open by end of the summer. When reopened the transfer station schedule will revert back to regular operating hours and days/ - Repair of the Glenwood Transfer Station is scheduled following the completion of the Volcano Transfer Station repair. - The water tank that was removed from the Pahoa Transfer Station when it was closed due to the lava flow is being reinstalled. The Reuse Center cover was installed off center and needs adjustment. DPW will be installing more restrictive signage at the transfer station regarding non-use of the transfer station as parking for lava viewing. South Hilo Sanitary Landfill: - Long range plan for Mass Transit is to have a base yard back of the landfill. - Looking at alternate roads in/out of landfill. Traffic mixture of residents, DLNR and Mass Transit vehicles is a concern. - The repair of the road is DEM responsibility and we will invite DLNR, DPW and Mass Transit to assist the dept. in preparing a management plan and sharing the road maintenance costs. - The county will not build a new landfill in Hilo. The county will focus on increasing diversion and continuing the sliver fill on the North face of the landfill which should increase the life of the landfill 8- 10 years. The county has another landfill at Pu`uanahulu where solid waste can be disposed. - Solid Waste Division long range goals: o Providing additional services at the transfer stations o Converting the Sort Station into a dirty Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) o Diversion of green waste by composting o Mandating private haulers to provide recycling services. Commission Member District Update Reports — includes information obtained from meetings with council members and district residents since the last commission meeting County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. District 9: Fritz asked if the reason we were not hauling water from Kawaihae to WHSL for dust abatement was because the water was too caustic to the trucks. The Director will ask our Solid Waste Division Chief and report back. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Follow-up on Letter to the Board of Education regarding including recycling services in school trash disposal contracts (attached to original minutes): Chair Randle reported that he talked with Gilbert Chun of the State Department of Education and an Invitation for Bid (IFB) has been put out for new recycling contracts which will require source separation to start in September. RH has received $10,000 from Councilmember Wille to provide Zero Waste education in Waimea schools. 7. NEW BUSINESS Presentation by Angela Kang regarding the outcomes from the March 9' and 10', 2015 Hawaii Zero Waste Alliance/Zero Waste USA meetings relating to initiatives/projects and developing strategies for a statewide approach for sustainable resource management Withdrawn per request of Presenter. Discussion and/or recommendation of Bill 32, which amends Chapter 14, Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended) by adding a new article relating to disposal of refuse in a manner that rewards those who separate their recyclables and compostables from landfill refuse The Commission has received no response on its request to Council to resubmit request for commission recommendations on Bill 32. A draft comment letter (attached to original minutes) was distributed. Commissioner Osborne made a motion to submit comments on Bill 32 as provided by Chair Randle. Nahm-Mijo seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Fritz, Osborne, Randle and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. - Discussion as follows: o Incentivize recycling and diversion instead of penalizing for disposing all trash in landfills. o Give reward for recycling with a program such as expanding redemption program to inculde additional recyclables.. Commissioner Osborne made a motion to make amendments to f) Additional Considerations by adding: 3) Further incentivize diversion and recycling such as expanding HI -5 redemption program to include additional recyclables. Rewarding for recycling rather than penalizing for not recycling would be preferable. 4) Additional resources to research and consult with relating to PAYTIL might be the US EPA, State DOH and Recycle Hawaii. Commissioner Fear seconded. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Fritz, Osborne, Randle and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. Discussion and/or recommendation of Bill 33 amending Ch 2, Art. 40, Sec 2-202: Ch 20, Art 3, Sec 20- 31, 20-35 and 20-36; and Ch 20, Art 5, Sec 200-43 and 20-52 and adding a new section to Ch 20, Art 3, of the Hawaii County Code relating to Refuse - - Deferred awaiting submission of amendment to Bill 33 by Councilmember Wille. Discussion and decision making on proposal to County Council to amend Chapter 2, Article 40, Section 2-207 of the Hawaii County Code to extend the response deadline from 45 days upon receipt of the referral to 61 days or following one meeting of the commission to preclude situations when EMC cannot meet due to lack of quorum. - It was noted that in the past, the commission was sometimes unable to make recommendations due to not having a meeting within the 45 day comment period. Commissioner Fear moved to request extension of the response deadline from 45 to 61 days or following one meeting of the commission. Nahm-Mijo seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Fritz, Osborne, Randle and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. - Chair Randle will prepare a letter to the council with the commission's request. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS - Battery Disposal - Used Oil Disposal at county solid waste facilities - Site visit to HPA School Recycling Program - Update on Bill 194 procedures—August - Solid Waste site visits:transfer stations,East Hawaii Organics Facilities - Wastewater treatment plant site visits:Hilo,Papa`ikou 9. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS Due to lack of quorum,the June 24 meeting has been cancelled. 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 Commissioner Fear made a motion to adjourn. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Osborne and it passed unanimously with members present: Fear,Fritz,Osborne,Randle,and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. Meeting adjourned at 11:48 a.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: f 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 Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.