2018-01-18 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, January 10, 2018 9:07 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Community Meeting Hale 75-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi 96740 Commissioners present: Richard Bennett, Ph.D., Chair Jon Olson, Vice Chair James Fritz Luana Neff Jeffry Fear Staff present: Diane Noda, Deputy Director Keyra Wong, Deputy Corporation Counsel Mary Fujio, Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Bennett called the meeting to order at 9:07 a.m. He thanked Commissioner Fritz for serving as chair in 2017, and the secretary for the thoroughness of the packet for the meeting. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 28, 2017 Chair Bennett asked if there were any additions or corrections to be made to the minutes. Motion and vote: Vice Chair Olson moved to approve the minutes, Commissioner Neff seconded the motion, and all commissioners present voted aye. 3. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS Jerome Warren testified regarding the Pāhala cesspool replacement, which was listed in the Director’s Informational Report, item 4A. Mr. Warren stated that gang cesspools became illegal in 2005. He held a document which he said is the final environmental assessment for the Pāhala Gang Cesspool Conversion Project and said he brought this document to a previous EMC meeting and also to a previous Council meeting in regard to the Kaū CDP. He explainedʻ the document is available online. He said the system is owned by the County, serves 108 homes, and the final blueprint has been sitting on the shelf for almost ten years. In the meantime, the County hired new consultants to make a new plan. The new plan calls for the purchase of 42 acres, yet it will still serve the original 108 homes. The cost to the County will be $20,000,000, which is $200,000 per house being served. The system uses a pond to capture wastewater, but it will only be enough to make