Big Island Trash

[rc808]

Anybody have any thoughts? Doesn't seem like much of a plan...?

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=7067

Big Island council rejects waste-to-energy project
Vote was 5-4
Associated Press


The Hawaii County Council has opted to trash a controversial waste-to-energy project, leaving the Big Island with no long-term plan for its solid waste.

A resolution that would have given Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. six months to finalize its design-build price and to produce an environmental impact statement was defeated 5-4 today.

“This is thoroughly disappointing,” Mayor Harry Kim said after the vote. “I feel they made a huge mistake here today. Where we go from here is where we are now. This is something for the next administration and council.”

The county’s tentative deal with Wheelabrator had an estimated cost to taxpayers of $11.5 million annually over the life of a 25-year contract.

The New Hampshire-based subsidiary of Waste Management Inc. was to have designed, built, run and maintained an incinerator to handle the more than 230 tons of trash now going daily to the county’s Hilo landfill.

The dump likely will close within four years, leaving the island with just one landfill, Puanahulu, along the same stretch of highway as the luxury Kohala Coast resorts.

Wheelabrator’s plan was to incinerate garbage in a plant to be built next to the Hilo dump. The waste-to-energy process would create enough surplus electricity to power nearly 2,000 homes, with the county keeping 90 percent of the revenues.

However, five of the council members nixed the deal, saying it was too costly, residents were against it and the county should be focusing on aggressive curbside recycling.

[guiness]

In a previous article about the incinerator there was a mention of two Companies starting gassification of trash. They will do it with private money, pay the County, produce vary little waste and release little into the air other than co2. I am amazed that this has gotten no attention. The idea that we can recycle everything may make people feel better about consuming, but where is this recycling to take place? Not on the
Big Island so at best our trash will be recycled after a long diesel boat trip away. A best it's not perfect but considering the other options presented and their expense, I think it should be given a good look

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by rc808

Anybody have any thoughts?

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quote:

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Originally posted by guiness

......... I am amazed that this has gotten no attention......

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I hate to beat a dead horse. []

Check here, here, and here for previous Punaweb threads on the Wheelabrator decision.

I believe there are even a few Punaweb members that had some very influential ways of swaying the councils vote also. []

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[rc808]

Touche Damon [:I] I never saw your threads. I hope they can find a better solution.

www.localmotionhawaii.com

[guiness]

Damon: Thank you for the 3 threads, I don't believe I read them all before. My question about attention was in reference to gassification. Since 2 Companies came forward with offers that were noted in the paper, the County and the paper have said nothing about it. Solving the trash problem, generating electricity and doing it with private money sounds like something our elected officials should look in to. Or are they unable to consider an option that does not include lots of taxpayer money.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by guiness

...My question about attention was in reference to gassification. Since 2 Companies came forward with offers that were noted in the paper, the County and the paper have said nothing about it. Solving the trash problem, generating electricity and doing it with private money sounds like something our elected officials should look in to. Or are they unable to consider an option that does not include lots of taxpayer money.

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I Don't have a direct answer for you. I was off island during most of this Wheelabrator debacle. Only put my two cents in here and in written testimony about my own feelings as well as talked to a few people who would listen to my schpeel.

I think some key words you mentioned are...."or are they unable".

Every year it seems like so much fighting amongst each other in the council stymies many good things.

I don't like politics because of the nature of the game. It's a power trip for most and when you start taking my hard earned tax dollar away from me and wasting it on useless, frivolous projects.... then that's when you hear me bitch.

I feel this whole WB thing was not worthy. I'm glad it's not proceeding.

From stories like this it appears that some council members don't have a clue about much... including their own pay.

Only Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford seemed to have a clue. She admitted she was "uncomfortable" with the raises, and suggested it would be better to use the funds on infrastructure.

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