LIHU‘E — The long-awaited completed revision of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which has as its goal a minimum of 35 percent diversion from the landfill and productive uses of even non-recyclable trash, was recently presented to the Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — The long-awaited completed revision of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which has as its goal a minimum of 35 percent diversion from the landfill and productive uses of even non-recyclable trash, was recently presented to the Kaua‘i County Council.
The plan now calls for the development of a $6 million Materials Recovery Facility to process recyclables, scheduled to be operational by 2012, and a Pay As You Throw refuse collection program that would charge those who produce more than a standard amount of trash, making the costs of solid waste management more “explicit” rather than relying on the county General Fund.
Also included in the plan are a Waste-To-Energy Facility that will be constructed by 2013 for between $46 million and $52 million and a curbside recycling pilot program that could expand island-wide in coming years.
The county Department of Public Works presented its plan to the council on Dec. 16, with R.W. Beck Vice President of Solid Waste Practice Bob Craggs, the county’s consultant, taking the lead on a lengthy PowerPoint presentation and answering questions from council members.
Rather than approve the plan on first blush and send it along to the state Department of Health for a final OK, the council referred Resolution 2009-71 to its Committee on Public Works and Elderly Affairs and scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 21, County Clerk Peter Nakamura said.
That meeting is set for a Thursday because the state Legislature is holding its opening-day ceremony the day before, he said.
Some community members, who attended the council meeting to hear deliberations on the siting of a new landfill in Kalaheo, tied the two issues together by warning that a failure to recycle and process enough solid waste has led to the situation the county finds itself in today.
Former Mayor and Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said if the county had implemented an “aggressive zero-waste program … we wouldn’t be in the corner that we’re in right now.”
She said the administration should fund and fill a recycling coordinator position rather than a “totally impractical” waste-to-energy facility or “premature” curbside recycling program, sentiments she expressed when the county was formulating its annual budget in April and May.
For more information, visit www.kauai.gov/publicworks/solidwaste.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
