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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-22 Environmental Management Commission Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES March 22, 2017 West Hawai'i Civic Center Community Hale, Kailua-Kona, HI COMMISSIONERS ALSO PRESENT: Richard Bennett, Vice Chair PRESENT: Christine Dochin Jeffry Fear Jerome Warren Trina Nahm-Mijo Nancy Cook-Lauer Luana Neff Rick Vidgen STAFF: William Kucharski, Director EXCUSED: James Fritz Diane Noda, Deputy Director Susan Osborne Marcie Toguchi, Private Secretary Renee Schoen, Corp Counsel Presentation by Brown & Caldwell on Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant R-1 Upgrade Project • Presentation was done prior to the start of the meeting while waiting for quorum. • Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant is home to two endangered species, the Hawaiian Stilt and the Hawaiian Coot. About 80% of the Hawaiian Stilt population live at this facility. • Current construction project is the aeration system upgrade which is to be completed this spring. • R-1 upgrade project will implement water recycling, a new disposal system and close the existing disposal basin. • Beneficial use of highly treated wastewater treatment plant effluent for non-potable usage such as irrigation and dust control. • There are also challenges to water recycling in this area such as it's a lava field so not much soil which makes it expensive to install pipelines; high salinity in recycled water; lack of potential users close by. • New disposal system will significantly reduce nutrients by using polishing wetlands and a soil aquifer treatment system. • The Environmental Impact Statement notice will be published tomorrow,with the scope meeting scheduled for some time in April at the West Hawai`i Civic Center. 1. CALL TO ORDER& ANNOUNCEMENTS: Commission Vice Chair Richard Bennett called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 22,2017 MEETING: Commissioner Nahm-Mijo made a motion to approve the February 22,2017 minutes. Commissioner Fear seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Bennett,Fear, Nahm-Mijo,Neff and Vidgen 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 (who owns/manages Bio Energy Hawaii) stated the presentation by Bio Energy Hawaii regarding the Waikoloa Waste to Energy Program will need to be postponed to the May meeting. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. • Georgejean Adams stated it's difficult to get people to recycle correctly, so the Waikoloa Waste to Energy Program will be a good thing for the community and is looking forward to the project. We really need this facility. Would like them to be active in the community by looking for partners to take the items they recover. • Jerome Warren stated the handouts for the Na`alehu&Pahala cesspools are incomplete. It only has the table of contents and summary. All the critical information is missing. The department still has not been able to come up with their original documentation. All the department has is a letter which is a copy of Mr. Warren's copy. The homeowner's agreement from 2004 is still viable. Documents from the Mayor's Office informed homeowners that the ILWU would oversee the conversion. They would be able to help out if they were here at the meetings. The EPA now has the County under an Administrative Order of Consent which means the Department of Environmental Management has failed to comply with federal regulation that they have known about for 17 years. • Jerome Warren stated we are moving away from a person's individual sovereignty when we adopt a ban on Styrofoam take-out food containers. By banning food containers,they are showing the rest of the world that the Big Island is environmentally aware. Extreme environmentalist tell us that Mother Nature is supreme and the individual person is secondary. Let's not turn the Department of Environmental Management in to Mother Nature's church. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: —None 6. NEW BUSINESS: • Na`alehu & Pahala Large Capacity Cesspool Closures: o Director Kucharski stated the department is in the process of getting an Administrative Order of Compliance. We are currently looking at locations in Na`alehu. The scheduled we are proposing will have the large capacity cesspools closed by the year 2020. For the Pahala project we will be using federal money so that requires than an Environmental Impact Statement be done. For the Na`alehu project we will be using local money so that requires an Environmental Assessment. We have a meeting next week with EPA to discuss all of this. There are three gang cesspools in Pahala. We are looking to have one closed within the next year, and the other two will be replaced with a septic system. • Bill 13,Draft 2—An ordinance amending Ch. 20 by adding a new article relating to reduction of polystyrene foam "Styrofoam" food containers and food service ware: (attached to original minutes) o Director Kucharski stated he submitted comments to the County Council regarding this bill. In order for the Department to properly support the bill, we will need more money and staffing. o On March 8, 2017 an ad hoc committee was formed to work with stakeholders to come up with proposed amendments and report back to the Council by June 30, 2017. o If the Bill is brought to the Commission for review and comment, Commissioners asked that they receive the Bill prior to the meeting so they have time to look it over and have their comments ready for the meeting. • Proper disposal of used tires: o Director Kucharski stated businesses who sell tires charge a mandatory fee for tire disposal so they are required to keep your old tires. Letters were sent out to all tire dealers to explain what their responsibilities are regarding taking in used tires. o Commissioner Neff stated there are gardening projects that incorporate used tires. o Commissioner Fear stated it was brought up years ago for the department to purchase their own machine that is capable of breaking down the tires to they can be used for other things. o Director Kucharski stated the department will need to take a better look at this issue to see how we can make it better. County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. o Commissioner Vidgen requested this item be discussed at next month's meeting. • Resolution 101-17 Authorizing payment of funds of a multi-fiscal year agreement for furnishing greenwaste diversion operations in West Hawaii& East Hawaii: o Director Kucharski stated the Resolution was brought forth in the Environmental Management Committee on March 21'2017 and the vote was 0-9. The Resolution will now go before full Council on April 5, 2017. • Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan: o Director Kucharski stated the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan is due to Department of Health in 2019. The department is currently trying to find a Contractor to help put together and modify the plan. Once the draft is created, the public will have a chance to review and give comment. o Dr. Bennett requested that the plan be brought to the Commission for review as well. • Presentation by Representative from Waikoloa Waste to Energy Program: o As stated in Statements from the Public,the presentation will be postponed to the May 24, 2017 meeting. 7. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION: • Director's Report(attached to original minutes): o No updates since report was created. • Commission Member District Update Reports: o District 8: Commissioner Fear stated last month's beach clean-up was a huge success. They cleaned 130 miles of coast line and over 1,000 volunteers showed up. Picked up 12,000 pounds of trash at the old airport alone. Need to put signs back up as people are ripping them down. Would like to see the littering fine increased to $1,000.00 instead of $500.00. Three days after the clean-up,the area was trashed again. The Mayor has planned a beach clean-up in April, but it needs to be cleaned now. Director Kucharski stated he would like to create a program that will help with litter control and possibly issue citations. He will talk with the Mayor to see what can be done. o District 3: Commissioner Nahm-Mijo asked how the issue of backyard fires can be pursued. A lot of rubbish could be burned instead of taken to the landfill. It could also even help with litter control. Commissioner Bennett stated he is hesitant to encourage backyard burning as some papers contain plastic which when burned produce toxic fumes. o District 7: Commissioner Vidgen stated old tires are still an issue. The department should have better monitoring at the trash chutes to stop illegal dumping. Currently the workers are just sitting there watching everything go down the chute. He would like to keep disposal of tires on the agenda for next month. o Assistant Corporation Counsel Schoen suggested adding litter control options for homeowners to next month's meeting. Commissioners may come with a list of concerns they would like to bring before County Council. 8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Wetlands wastewater disposal system vs. Mechanical wastewater disposal o Commissioner Bennett will call Commissioner Osborne to ask if she would still like to keep this as a future agenda item. • Discussion with Mayor Harry Kim o Commissioner Bennett stated this is scheduled for the April 26, 2017 meeting. More for a meet and greet, however if the Commissioners have topics they would like to discuss with Mayor Kim,they should bring a list with them. • Recycling Presentation of FY 15-16 program accomplishments and costs o Director Kucharski stated the new Recycling Coordinator started on March 16, 2017 and will present at the May 24, 2017 meeting. Commissioners asked if the Recycling County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Coordinator would be able to present at the April 26, 2017 meeting instead since he gave a presentation to the Environmental Management Committee on March 21, 2017. The new Recycling Coordinator can also address the Sort Station diversion numbers. 9. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS April 26 Hilo Puna Conf. Room, County Bldg. May 24 Kona WHCC Comm. Hale June 28 Hilo Puna Conf. Room, County Bldg. July 26 Kona WHCC Council Room A August 23 Hilo Puna Conf. Room, County Bldg. September 27 Kona WHCC Council Room A October 25 Hilo Puna Conf. Room, County Bldg. November 22 Kona WHCC Council Room A December 27 No meeting Dates are selected per the Commission Rules. 10. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Nahm-Mijo made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Fear seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Bennett, Fear,Nahm-Mijo,Neff and Vidgen voting yes. Meeting adjourned at 11:10 a.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: MARCIE TOGUCHk I 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.