STAND UP FOR THE `AINA
JOIN BUST-A-DUMPER
SEPTEMBER
2009

If you see a DUMPER on streets & highways or lands owned by the City, call 911 immediately or leave a message 24/7/366 at 768-3203.
If you see someone dumping on
STATE LAND, call 643-3567 anytime 24/7/365
If you see someone dumping on privately-owned land, call 911.

For more information about refuse, recycling, hazardous materials etc., visit the City & County of Honolulu's opala.org website OR call 768-3600.
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LEGISLATIVE & HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL UPDATES

Two bills dealing with recycling and derelict vehicles became law in mid-July.

Governor Linda Lingle allowed HB 1422 CD1 to become ACT 193 - Regular Session 2009 without her signature. It allows county governments to remove derelict vehicles from privately-owned roads provided that the property owner agrees in writing to allow the City's contractor to come onto the road, to pick up the towing costs, and to indemnify the City against any damage claims arising from removing & disposing the vehicle.
Unfortunately, the law sunsets on January 1, 2010, so the counties will only have six months to deal with matters - and, of course, there's no guarantee that people will stop dumping derelicts after the bill expires. Most likely, the 2010 Legislature will amend the bill to extend its life.

The second law, HB 1809 CD1, which sets up a formal televion recycling program, has had been put on Da Gov's list of probable vetoes; however, she also allowed this bill to become ACT 183 - Regular Session 2009 without her signature

A bill which would have required large retailers such as Costco to set up recycling centers at their stores as well as to extend the reverse vending machine rebate program has also been deferred. In fact, the conferees never met to discuss the differences between the House & Senate versions.

NOTE: All bills except for those in which a formal rollcall vote in committee to hold are still alive and can be brought "back to life" next session.

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CITY SOLID WASTE UPDATES: The City & County of Honolulu has reached an agreement with Hawaiian Waste Systems to ship 100,000 tons of Honolulu's solid waste across the Pacific Ocean to a privately-owned landfill in central Washington State where it will be converted into methane gas to be sold to Washington & Oregon utility companies to use instead of fossil fuels or nuclear power.
The anticipated total cost to O`ahu's taxpayers for shipping trash between September, 2009, and June, 2012,is expected to run close to $50 MILLION.

Meanwhile, the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, the parent organization of the BUST-A-DUMPER campaign, has been closely tracking the City & County of Honolulu's petition before the Land Use Commission to expand the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill and to extend the permit for an additional 15 years.

However, the petition has been challenged by State Senator Colleen Hanabusa, State Representative Maile Shimabukuro, City Councilmember Todd Apo & the Ko Olina Community Association; they further request that the LUC upholds its earlier decision in March, 2008, to shut down Waimanalo Gulch on November 1, 2009.
The LUC will hold a hearing sometime this fall to decide whether to support the petition. Sources tell me that if the LUC does so, their actions will lead to an extended battle in the courts.

Another allocation in the FY 2010 Budget includes funds to search for a new landfill site so that the current landfill can be closed down as quickly as possible.
Nothing has changed since the last site selection committee came back with its recommendation five years ago to expand Waimanalo Gulch.

The Windward Ahupua`a Alliance will continue to challenge both the Honolulu City Council and the Hannemann Administration's proposals on solid waste issues which make no sense.

If you're interested in the status of state or county actions in dealing with solid waste management & recycling issues, please call 246-6366 ext. 2#.
We'd like to post information about community stewardship activities anywhere in Hawai`i so please let us know about your upcoming activities; we'll let all other readers know how they can help. We may have started BUST-A-DUMPER because of our disgust at what has happened along Kapa`a Quarry Road and to Kawai Nui Marsh, but we want everyone in every community to malama Hawai`i. If you wish to reach us the old fashioned way, send mail to us at Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, P. O. Box 6366, Kane`ohe, HI 96744. Or call and leave a message on the voicemail at 247-6366 ext. 1#.

Here are just a few of our pictures from our Windward Hall of Shame.



Here's some of the beauty we're protecting