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PODCAST
SUNDAY, November 8, 2015
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- November 8, 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii. Carroll talks about more waste of taxpayer money by city, state, and federal governments.
Carroll tells us about a $16 million Consent Decree entered into by the City and County of Honolulu, John C. Cruden, Asst. Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S.Department of Justice; and Henry Friedman, Asst Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice. It was issued because the city failed to install a Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS) at the Kapaa Quarry Landfill to manage air pollution from escaping Ozone-depleting methane and other harmful gases. As
part of the Consent Decree the city agreed to install a solar-voltaic building in Campbell Industrial Park, next to H-Power, and pay an additional $875,000 in civil penalties. Where is the $16 million for the building coming from? In a newscast Mayor Kirk Caldwell told HawaiiNewsNow reporter Jim Mendoza that this is the type of fine that comes back and pays dividends, basically saying it was acceptable to pollute and contribute to greenhouse gases because the EPA will just fine us, and that will be good for the economy. Mayor Caldwell says, "With this money we will become greener,"
and "It is a win-win situation." Is it acceptable to come up with dividends from breaking the law and paying fines?
However, page five of the Consent Decree states 6,875 tons of uncontrolled non-methane organic compounds ("NOMCs") were released into the atmosphere, but an EPA press release dated 5/12/15 and titled "EPA requires Honolulu to prevent hazardous air emissions at Kapaa Landfill" states the following: "Air emissions from a closed landfill are toxic, and can contribute to global warming,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “If the proper systems had been
in place at the landfill, over 343,000 tons of methane, and 6,800 tons of hazardous air pollutants and volatile organics would not have escaped
to the atmosphere.” How bad can it get before it's win-win?
- Documents:
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- 5/12/15 - Consent Decree
- 7/29/15 Draft Environmental Assessment
- 2015 Covanta Permits
- 12/2/15 - Carroll's formal letter of complaint to Steven Chang, Department of Health regarding Covanta permit application
H-Power, and empty lot for proposed building
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- And, there's more. The H-Power plant in Campbell Industrial Park burns waste and is run by Covanta. Covanta has submitted an application to use the solar-voltaic panel building to process old refrigerators. There are already companies that specialize in recovering gases from appliances but, as previously reported by Carroll, the city is now bypassing this process. The
city did not put out bids for processing refrigerators, but is assuming, because Covanta runs H-Power it should also run a new recycling business in the $16 million solar-voltaic panel building being built as required by the Consent Decree. What's going on here?
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- Carroll reads from City Council Resolution 12-150, CD1, requesting an audit of the Department of Environmental Services and specifically expressing concerns about H-Power, their use of $100 million, and their contracts with Covanta and Synagro.
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- Resolution 12-150, CD1, states, in part, "Whereas, ENV has continued to disregard the Hawaii Procurement Code by allowing Covanta to expand the H-Power facility before seeking other interested bidders and continued to extend Covanta's contract to operate the H-Power facility over the years; and Whereas, today ENV has made over twelve amendments to Convanta's H-Power Operation Contract; and whereas, some of the contract amendments included increases in the contract amounts; one amendment in 2009 provided Covanta with the ability to receive 15% of the net revenues that the city receives during a billing month from the sale of electric energy generated by H-Power; and Whereas, ENV has not provided the council with the certificate or documentation showing the increase of over $1,000,000 in the contract amount during the periods of June 30, 1997, to March 23, 2004, and March 23, 2004 to February 28, 2008; and Whereas, the City Council finds that ENV has neither been forthright in its handling of these contract amendments with Covanta, nor in its provision of all the documents requested by the council;"
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- The audit is currently in process. Not only this, what about our wastewater treatment and sewer funds? So many problems, so much waste.
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Per the attached video,
the city is picking up refrigerators, hot water heaters, and other appliances on the roadside and loading them into their garbage trucks. However, as they are smashed by the compactor, the broken lines release freon and oil into the atmosphere. This is not good. There are
businesses on Oahu that specialize in receiving refrigerators and appliances and recovering the freon and oil for recycling. Why has the
city stopped using these facilities? Carroll has filed a complaint with the Department of Health Solid Waste Branch.
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Pretty little weeds
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Carroll announces he is a regular guest on the John Nolan Show from 6 - 7 p.m. on KWAI 1080 AM. Listen and call in!
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Carroll continues his discussion about local issues on O'lelo Public Television, Channel 54.
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KITTY CORNER - TOO CUTE!
These, and other kittens like them, are looking for a home. Ages range from 3 to 12 months.
They have been neutered or spayed, and they are litter box trained. Now, all they need is your love. Who can resist a new kitten?
To adopt, call Carroll at 782-6627, or email carroll@carrollcox.com.
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Follow: Carroll Cox, Consent Decree, H-Power, Covanta, Campbell Industrial Park, solar-voltaic power building, Envrironmental Services .
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note: downloiad file size is approx. 26MB
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