Environmental...

[rainshadow]

The latest Environmental Notice is out, which includes the below. I had heard in the past that when ordering soil for our property, to be aware that sometimes that soil was derived from this area. Does anyone know if that's true??

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE CLEANUP OF SOIL ARSENIC CONTAMINATION AT THE FORMER HAKALAU/PEPE‘EKEO SUGAR PESTICIDE STORAGE/MIXING SITE, HAKALAU, HILO, HAWAI‘I

The former Hakalau/Pepe‘ekeo Sugar Plantation pesticide storage/mixing and seed dipping site is an approximately 8.7 acre property currently owned by the Shropshire Group, LLC. Site investigations by the Department of Health (DOH) and the owner’s environmental consultant have confirmed soil arsenic contamination on parts of the property that will require action to reduce potential exposure hazards.

At least four cleanup alternatives were compared and considered, and the response action being proposed is to remove the highly contaminated soils to the West Hawai#699;i landfill and bury additional soils with moderately elevated arsenic levels in an on-site containment cell, capped with asphalt, to eliminate the potential for soil arsenic exposures.

A Public Meeting on the Draft RAR for the Hakalau site will be held on May 23, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Honomu Gym, 28-1641 Government Main Road (in Honomu, just past the turn-off to Akaka Falls, on the right, and across from the Catholic Church).

Written comments regarding the proposed arsenic cleanup at the site will be accepted through June 20, 2013, and should be mailed to John Peard, Project Manager at Department of Health, HEER Office, 1582 Kamehameha Avenue Hilo, HI 96720-4623, or emailed to john.peard@doh.hawaii.gov

Direct Link:
http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Docu..._issue.pdf

-- rainshadow

[hikatz]

It is hard to tell where the soil came from, it would depend on the integrity of the company you were dealing with.
If you have concerns, you can have your soil tested.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/uhmg/EastHI/soil-test.asp

[oink]

Here in S. Fl I had a load of "soil" delivered several years back. When I looked at it, it had a bad chemical smell. I called the guy back and complained. He said it was fine and was from a horse ranch. I didn't buy his story as it smelled very chemical. I demanded that he remove it. He balked. I advised that I would take a sample to the EPA. Later that afternoon the pile disappeared. I later saw a pile on the roadside about a half mile away that I'm guessing was it. Since that time I make sure I'm there when the load shows up and I give it the sniff test.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[Carey]

Even if the soil IS from Puna, there could be a potential for contamination, as was the use of arsenic was in cane fields throughout the island..some of us can remember when the construction of the hotel in Keaau was delayed due to arsenic (interesting to note what has been done with that area):
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/06...tory8.html
and the warning of arsenic in the garden soils of old cane fields:
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/08...tory2.html

And yes, it is true that people bring in soil from other areas... neat thing about Hamakua soils is that it is fairly easy to ID - red clay soils - and the county has used that in some of their roadway constructions around (in fact, they placed some in our makai easement after repair a water line break).

One thing to note, once the area is identified as a cleanup, the soil usually is harder to "loose", as there is a paperwork trail that SHOULD be maintained....but that, like most things here, is SHOULD BE, not is... and arsenic soil is not a really terrible layer for a landfill, better than some things that people place in landfills...as long as it is capped and in a lined, monitored landfill (and no fire continues burning for decades like is still happening at the old Kona landfill...but THAT is another story...

[unknownjulie]

yep, the soil that is delivered is often from right next to this site. OR so I was told when I asked. Evidently, the ground has already been dug way deeper than the topsoil, so I dont know how deeply these contaminants are and if they have truely seeped down to the level that the soil is now being "harvested". I think soil from anywhere here is a risk. There is depleted uranium up the mountain evidently. I suppose that would be worse.