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Jason with STEWART STANT & MIKE MIYAMOTO, Director & Deputy of County of Maui Office of Environmental Management, “Crap and Trash”-Wastewater Management, Injection Wells, Central Maui Landfill/Dump, Management… more. 9-10-2018
Summary & Transcript
- Summary Based on the Original Table of Contents and Timestamps
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[00:00 → 03:19] Introduction and Department Overview
Jason Schwartz opens the show with high energy welcoming two guests: Stewart Stant, Director of Environmental Management for the County of Maui, and his deputy Mike Miyamoto. Stewart introduces their department’s broad responsibilities, emphasizing their role in managing “crap and trash,” which encompasses solid waste (trash pickup and landfill management), wastewater reclamation, and environmental protection and sustainability (including recycling and abandoned vehicles programs). The conversation clarifies that while water quality is generally managed by other agencies, their department handles reuse water—treated wastewater that meets standards for irrigation and other non-potable uses, such as watering golf courses and parks. The guests note that recycling and abandoned vehicles programs could be topics for future episodes, highlighting the complexity and importance of their work. 
Jason explains how he met Stewart through a mutual acquaintance, Jerome Metcalfe, who praised Stewart’s innovative management style, which promotes employee participation in company growth benefits. Stewart shares his perspective that strong management is crucial for any successful team, emphasizing that no great team exists without a great manager. He also reveals initial hesitations about taking the director role but embraced it to address ongoing projects and challenges within the department. Mike Miyamoto is introduced as the technical expert who complements Stewart’s management skills. This segment sets the tone of collaboration and competence within the department, preparing the audience for deeper discussions on specific projects.- [08:05 → 14:23] Energy and Wastewater Projects
Stewart discusses his 25 years of experience in wastewater treatment and how he inherited ongoing energy projects, particularly one at the Central Maui landfill involving methane gas capture for power generation. The department flares (burns off) approximately 2.2 megawatts of landfill gas daily, and efforts were made to convert this into usable energy, though challenges with securing buyers for the power delayed progress. Stewart highlights another key project involving sludge processing from wastewater treatment plants. Maui produces about 24,000 tons of bio-solids (treated sewage sludge) annually, which are composted with green waste to create fertilizer-like products. The department also undertook solar projects at other treatment plants to reduce reliance on the grid, but the Kahului plant faced limitations due to space and environmental factors. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued seeking technology to run turbines fueled by natural gas to generate electricity and dry sludge simultaneously. The dried sludge, classified as Class A by EPA standards, could be repurposed as fertilizer for parks or other uses, reducing landfill inputs and supporting sustainability. - [14:23 → 21:12] Project Status, Challenges, and Public Engagement
While the energy and sludge drying projects show promise, they are currently stalled due to environmental impact statement processes and related challenges. Stewart explains that the goal is not only to reduce costs and landfill use but also to generate revenue by selling value-added products like fertilizer. The conversation touches on confusion around Energy Maui’s role in various projects, clarifying that although Energy Maui was the sole qualified bidder on the Kahului energy project, multiple technologies are being explored. The show emphasizes public forums as critical for open discussion of these sometimes controversial or complex projects, reinforcing the department’s commitment to transparency. Jason highlights the importance of discussing injection wells, cesspools, and waste recycling as interconnected challenges affecting water quality and environmental health on Maui. - [21:12 → 30:34] Wastewater Reuse, Injection Wells, and Sustainability Challenges
Stewart provides detailed insights into the wastewater division’s operations. Maui’s wastewater plants process approximately 4.5 million gallons daily from Kihei, Lahaina, and Kahului. About 70% of treated wastewater is currently disposed of via injection wells, with only 30% reused, primarily due to infrastructure and off-taker limitations. He recounts the history of reuse water projects, including the installation of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems that meet EPA’s R1 water quality standards, enabling safe irrigation use. The Kihei facility is nearing 100% reuse capacity, but extending reuse to other areas like Wailea faces prohibitive costs (e.g., $10 million for piping infrastructure). Stewart stresses the potential for private sector involvement to build and operate reuse infrastructure, reducing the county’s financial burden and enhancing sustainability. The discussion underscores the need for innovative solutions to reduce reliance on injection wells that discharge treated water into the environment. 
- [30:34 → 38:35] Department Management, Political Context, and Facility Risks
Jason and Stewart discuss the political context of environmental projects, acknowledging that election years can disrupt continuity but expressing hope that sound projects will persist regardless of leadership changes. Stewart emphasizes the department’s proactive approach to project continuation and smooth leadership transitions. A significant concern highlighted is the Kahului wastewater treatment facility’s location in a tsunami hazard zone. Plans are underway to relocate pumping stations out of vulnerable areas and improve system resilience, including integrating energy projects expected to save the county over $1 million annually. The conversation stresses that public resistance often stems from misinformation, and the department maintains an open-door policy to educate stakeholders and engage in transparent dialogue. Politicians and community members have toured facilities to better understand wastewater treatment processes, which helps dispel fears and build trust. - [38:35 → 45:52] Public Education, Cesspool Replacement, and Pilot Projects
Stewart and Mike address the critical issue of cesspools, which pose significant environmental risks due to seepage into groundwater. Maui has approximately 7,400 cesspools classified as high priority for replacement under state mandates. Homeowners are currently responsible for financing upgrades, but the department is exploring pilot projects to test innovative and affordable technologies to assist residents. Stewart proposes a potential long-term financing model akin to sewer fees, spreading costs over time to ease the financial burden. They acknowledge the high cost of sewage infrastructure expansion upcountry, emphasizing that affordability and housing costs are primary concerns for residents. Public input and private sector innovation are seen as vital for advancing solutions. The segment highlights ongoing collaboration with state agencies and the importance of pilot programs to develop scalable, cost-effective cesspool alternatives. - [45:52 → 54:03] Private Sector Partnerships, Recycling, and Landfill Management
The discussion returns to the role of private sector engagement in waste management and recycling. Stewart explains efforts to close certain landfills, such as the Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfill in Malaya, and transition materials processing to private companies that recycle and reduce landfill volumes. The county encourages profitable recycling businesses that benefit the environment while alleviating public waste management costs. The department is mindful of keeping recycling and waste processing as local as possible to avoid high shipping costs. They also describe daily landfill operations, including compaction, covering waste with dirt or tarps to prevent vectors and odors, and ongoing efforts to manage refuse efficiently. The goal is to reduce landfill dependency by extracting value from waste streams through innovation and partnerships. - [54:03 → 56:50] Closing Remarks and Future Opportunities
Jason expresses gratitude for the openness and expertise of Stewart and Mike, emphasizing the importance of continued dialogue and public engagement. They discuss the potential for follow-up shows or video content to delve deeper into specific topics, encouraging community involvement and transparency. The guests affirm their commitment to ongoing communication and collaboration with the public and private sectors to advance Maui’s environmental sustainability. The show ends with a hopeful note about transforming “crap and trash” into valuable resources and creating a self-sustaining model for Maui’s future.
- Reuse water projects are critical for sustainability but face infrastructure and financial hurdles; private sector involvement is seen as a key to expanding reuse.
- Energy projects leveraging landfill gas and sludge processing aim to reduce costs, lower landfill volumes, and create beneficial byproducts like fertilizer.
- Injection wells remain a significant environmental concern; the goal is to minimize reliance through increased reuse and innovative management.
- Cesspool replacement is a pressing priority with significant financial and logistical challenges; pilot projects and creative financing are being pursued.
- Transparency, public education, and open dialogue are essential to overcoming misinformation and gaining community support.
- Private sector partnerships and innovative waste processing technologies are fundamental to future success.
- Political changes pose risks for project continuity, but strong management and planning aim to ensure progress regardless of leadership shifts.
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- Keywords
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Environmental Management, Wastewater Reclamation, Solid Waste, Recycling, Injection Wells, Cesspools, Waste-to-Energy, Bio-solids, Sludge Processing, Reuse Water, Sustainability, Landfill Gas, Private Sector Partnerships, Public Engagement, Pilot Projects, Infrastructure, Maui County.
Q: What does the Environmental Management Department do?
A: It manages trash collection, landfill operations, wastewater treatment and reuse, recycling programs, and abandoned vehicle removal for Maui County.
Q: What is reuse water and how is it used?
A: Reuse water is treated wastewater disinfected to high standards (EPA R1), used primarily for irrigation in parks, golf courses, and landscaping.
Q: Why is there still reliance on injection wells?
A: Infrastructure and off-taker limitations prevent full reuse of treated wastewater, so injection wells serve as backup disposal.
Q: How is the department addressing the environmental risks of cesspools?
A: Through pilot projects testing new technologies, exploring financing options for homeowners, and planning for eventual cesspool replacements.
Q: Are there efforts to convert landfill gas into energy?
A: Yes, projects exist to capture and convert methane gas from landfills into electricity and to use heat from turbines to dry sludge, reducing landfill inputs.
Q: How does the department handle public concerns and misinformation?
A: By maintaining an open-door policy, educating stakeholders, conducting facility tours, and engaging in transparent communication.
Q: Can the private sector help solve Maui’s waste and water challenges?
A: Absolutely, private investment and innovation are crucial for building infrastructure and developing profitable recycling and energy projects.
This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the interview, preserving the structure and flow of topics as presented in the transcript while providing clarity and depth on the complex environmental management issues facing Maui County.
00:00
I bet the voice of Maui welcome to the neutral zone this is your host Jason Schwartz you can find this at neutral zone we’ll have this show welcome to our show I have wonderful guests some of you watching Facebook lives can see them two gentlemen I have Stewart Stant and like Mike Miyamoto excuse me [Music] they want me high-energy to start so I look like I’m I just I am just up feel because with the neutral zone or anything but neutral but we can talk about everything from here that’s what
01:27
we do welcome to our show I have two guests they’re gonna say hello to you Mike and Stewart’s still why don’t you start yeah Aloha my name is Stewart um I’m the director of the environmental management director of Environmental Management for the Cathy of Maui here on Maui and and this is Mike Mike what do you do um I might be motor on Stewarts deputy for the for the department okay gentlemen about our hand in front of like that kind of distance just to get a little closer Mike get closer you guys
02:00
can get closer hey you go speak to us is that better yeah I don’t see as well as I should so you’re gonna see me with my glasses on and off right around we have a great show today and the main reason is you’re a sitting in general you’re sitting now sitting director of a county agency of environmental management whatever you cover you gave it a fun word outside what are you guys yeah we are Department basically takes care of crap and trash crap well we lease water one of our divisions
02:43
in our department is the wastewater reclamation division also the solid waste division which is the you know the the landfills trash pickup and we also have a third division which is our epns or environmental protection and sustainability vision which takes care of recycling the abandoned vehicles those kind of programs okay words recycling and abandoned vehicles that’s those could be shows by themselves correct in fact recycling as I see it I have things that we can talk about on future episodes of this game that I’m
03:19
involved in more detail recycling and and the abandoned cars program but I’m putting those aside because I think that so you weren’t deal with cropped that kind of crap okay and trash trash means things that you pick up it also means all the runoff all the water the water systems are you or no no no so water quality that’s not you only when we’re only in our reuse program where we take the waste water and we clean it to our one quality to reuse for irrigation and purposes so by example we call gray
03:57
water used to call it gray water who’s that what that means it means the water that’s after being processed used I know no we call it it’s after the water you’re in the sewage water is processed through a treatment that the facilities and then it’s disinfected and taken to a level that the H says is a level so we can use it for Reeves for you know like the the golf courses in Kihei use it the Kalama Park there’s a lot of parks that’s great that no that is what we call reuse water – yeah great water
04:31
is a you know what they use comes out of your washer dryer you know it’s legal in the yards and stuff like that differently totally different so on the golf course is that’s another whole Big Show yes central Maui and a landfill and the park that’s another story but what kinds of things have happened over the years what I’m here really talking about is I met Stewart in a very fun way you know how to do these interviews and I’m out there seeing everybody in one of the candidates was a guy named Metcalf
05:01
Jerome Metcalfe. he took over his father’s business if his father’s passing went through a whole thing really smart guy capable guy and he said you have to meet Stewart stamp Stewart’s that was in private thing in fact he had a very successful I I don’t want to call it multi-level but he had a a tiered management system that allowed people to participate more in the proceeds that were made by a company’s growth and the work of someone how’s that Brian I think you hit it better no Don gently so he
05:40
was very successful and when I met him and through Metcalfe just happened to be a knight that Stewart was called by our present mayor and Stewart was really reluctant to think yes but somehow over the time we hadn’t spoken and when I saw that he was in the middle of everything I thought I liked this guy know the stuff going on so I wanted to come and bring you on a show where you and I’d have an opportunity to talk when we met in your office I met you and Mike Mike Miyamoto now you’re the second in charge
06:14
but you’re also the I want to say the tech brains aren’t you are the ones that really know the great details but well you know I’m already looking you’ve been somehow noted by some as the management person who’s getting the lowest level of people not showing up for work and all kinds of things that are in more detail show that you’ve been really doing good management you were a private person brought in so when they talk about professional directors that’s a whole other subject also because you’ve been
06:51
really excelling at the management but what I understand from you is you’ve been working in the industry but the flow of all the technical and you’re the big process person to understand that right yeah and I guess I guess the best way to put it is there’s no there’s no good manager or if you take a look at no I’ll take it back there’s not a lot of good managers but there’s if you look at any great section any great team any great whatever it may be there’s always someone a great
07:25
manager I’ve never seen a section or a team that was a great team unless they had a great manager you were there they said at that time with the mayor called me and you realized I did not jump up on a spot and take the job I started laughing when I first got off with an empty pallet you came out with things that you know some of them are controversial probably you want to talk to them that I don’t want to push this conversation but I know it pushes itself sort of you know but you have you inherited an energy which is
08:05
you explain to this really whoever would it’s but you explained it in your office pretty good to me I understood it so what is that energy a project it’s well um so when I came on board you know my experiences in waste waters 25 years so I had a lot of experience with dealing with wastewater a lot of experience of dealing with the sludge component of the wastewater so I like when I started as a director one of the projects that was handed to me was a Murphy project which was a facility that was decided to be
08:37
built on the central Maui landfill you know to use the gas that’s already being burned off because we flare about 2.2 Meg’s of power every day just burn it just like the other on it so I was given that project so I had to meet energy on to see what they were all about and find out on this project that had started and I too had the question of why it was it was so delayed on getting his project done and then when I found out there was you know they were they were trying to go against go against Miko and and
09:06
question why Miko wouldn’t buy the power and stuff so when I got them on a direction telling me listen forget about going with the Mika will he go just going and come up with off takers because the anything any project you see that you come up with it’s not gonna have any effect unless you can get off takers so you can’t you can’t get people to take the gas so take the power there’s no project so while we were working on that Murfin and going through that with me maui facility okay
09:38
yeah i didn’t name it that name was already understudy yeah yeah it’s a waste conversion project basically you know whatever comes to the landfill will utilize you were here but you had experience with waste and wastewater and you came upon this energy a project that was already ongoing when used to fun going so i just wanted to see how we could move this project forward I need to be closer hang on I’m gonna get me up how’s that better I bet okay yeah so it’s but coming up I think what it was
10:19
when we came off of this project there was another project when I finally got to meet and see the technology out there my thing I was only – getting trash to energy but what I wanted was four years was why we were using we were actually processing our sludge at all the facilities we do 24,000 tons of what they call bio solids so you know what comes out of the treatment plants is called bio solids it’s called sludge so we were on Maui we have 24,000 tons a year of this sludge and what we processed is large what does that
10:54
normally go it goes to the landfill it’s actually a contractor that takes it and is there any kind of sleeve around it to protect it because it’s toxic the this is utilized for you know to mix with the green waste and to make the composting so you know we have to test it we fortunately we don’t have heavy industry that disposes in you know into our sewer system and so that kind of stuff isn’t in the mix it’s non-toxic okay yeah so processing this sludge yeah we we had a project that came up was to
11:31
actually we wanted to take the Kahului facility there was the only facility we did not have a solar system on it four years ago four years we had a we did a solar project at the key a wastewater reclamation if you say we actually have a I believe it’s like a 900 k-dub system that actually takes the key a plant completely off the grid but there was a lot of room so we could put a lot of panels but it’s not firm power so at night is when the key a plant actually goes back on the grid the Lahaina
11:59
treatment plant we have a 500 something k-dub system there in Kahului one we didn’t have the room to with the salt air and the panels and the equipment it would be the cost would just not make sense for us to do it so we did look into doing that on top of it it wasn’t firm as you know when the the state law came out about being a hundred percent renewable by 2045 I believe was act five three zero when that came out our direction was to get the facilities off of the grid Kahului facility was the
12:32
only one I had no energy project so what we did we we put together project to go out there and look for some kind of technology that we could actually run the treatment plant and dried a sludge so we wanted an energy project it actually came out that they believed RFP went out in 2016 March I’m asking for turbine type generation unit and that could also have a sludge drawing so if you look at the turbines they can take any kind of gas and the heat from the turbine is enough to dry the sludge so
13:10
the ultimate for this if if if it’s easier understand is the facility is having a turbine ran by gas natural gas what everything class is so that turbine provides electricity what it would do for us with this this RFP we put out we wanted to have I believe it’s a request for proposal yeah and you wanted to have something that was off the grid off the grid and could dry to sludge so the heat from the turbine would dry to sludge and the sludge with my brain yes and a sludge would then be dried to what EPA can says
13:47
they’re Class A and that dried sludge would be taken to your landfill know that drive sludge would be ours no it would be fertilizer that we can use throughout our departments like parks and different players but where we can even put it out whatever we chose this yes it starts obviously housing but yeah after you go through the drying process don’t you take out a lot of the water island and sadly we have more people every second and we have a growing problem so future solutions are open
14:23
right yeah this project have you been able to sell your waste in some way and create another profit stream or you give it away or how do you do with with this fertilizer do you use it all um this that the project is on a stall right now yeah I guess that’s the baby the best way to put it we’re going through the environmental impact statement process and there’s a challenge to that process at this time okay so this is all proposed now when you came aboard you inherited this project by inherited there is such a
14:57
financial project we and independent of that you came upon something that was interesting when it came to the wastewater thing so that’s energiya thing so energy suddenly would have a use you explained it in few words what it meant it been taking some kind of bio product and creating energy that you could use at your plant and thereby lower your cost dramatically and then a good portion of money that was going to the company that was at the central landfill ek Oh so something like that would certainly
15:35
have a lowered revenue stream but it would save the county a great deal of money a lot of money i what i can also you know maybe some of the confusion i think a lot of maui people add was that because energy i had already been it was involved in the central Maui landfill project I think the the rumor added a we we did a project at Kahului just for energy abut we actually put an RFP we actually had people who came in and and looked at the project to bid but our believe energy was the only ones that bid with that
16:08
project correct Mike yes they’re the only one that submitted a qualified did okay and well that’s good to know we’re by the way at ka kuat eight and a half FM I’m here with Stewart Stant miyamoto from the office of environmental management environmental management county of Maui we’re happy to have you listeners on Facebook live and radio and YouTube looking after the fact I don’t mean to break in but I’m learning to announce who and what we are for our travel you’re doing really good
16:42
I hope I’m not too a high energy for you I’m gonna break I want it’s not really even tension cuz you know what’s really true you know we hear people complaining about projects and I want a public forum where that’s what this show is about being able to talk about all sides of issues where whatever clarity we need people can call in eight seven three three four three five that’s right 808 you know I went to the eye doctor and when I looked at the chart I told them I can’t lie I memorized it top letter is
17:15
an e so when you see me with glasses on and off if I have to see that page of this board it’s a new explore the time we’re on so expect until I have an engineer we have a wonderful guy here shaggy Jenkins who’s off screen it was really very big support here and hopefully he’ll come in I I like to compare our show is sort of like the Flintstones remember the Flintstones little animals that would come in and got a sell-off am i doing good we are we ready for a break he said your name and then he said some phones anyway
17:59
I hope all of our viewers know that these two gentlemen are here it’s unusual I think to have a sitting director in an election year but you know we are not political here we talk about subjects that make good sense whether we’re the kingdom of Hawaii the state of Hawaii a state of confusion whoever we serve everyone and you guys serve if these guys have crap and trash as their topic they’re probably the most important piece to making sure we stay healthy in this county so that’s why the
18:31
Department of Health sticks their two cents in and while we’re talking about this subject on this show because when election change happens some of these things that we’re talking about then new regimes can change things left and right but projects that make sense makes sense and that’s something to really be looked at carefully you know there’s so much that we can talk about just because we’re talking about crap and trash and the injection wells and what comes out and why would where’s that going well
19:01
I’m sure we’ll touch on it somehow but I want to give you the people or at me like we’ll talk about all of that but we also what I hear about upcountry cesspools and the seepage and what it means the water and the state’s importance of it all and all that to me that’s political in a general way but these are the guys these are the guys that are doing the hands-on to try to make these things happen so I respect what you do and I truly I want our audience to understand it’s a pleasure
19:34
to have you here with us here it’s a pleasure to be Rand and thank you Jason for having us here my pleasure you know I mean when this political season is over in a couple of months what we’re talking about stands the test because it’s something really important right yes right so here’s energy and maybe I’m simplifying it but only for the purposes of so we can focus our conversation in a meaningful way they got a break kind of from me here in a few minutes so I have a couple of
20:05
minutes away but the injection wells and the cesspools the landfill that one off the landfill comes waste is it 100 percent use some say there’s 20 percent or percentage left over what is left over and right because when you think about the process is gonna be some kind of organic process and so you figured all the inert items like rocks cans bottles plastics you know those can’t really be turned into some kind of energy so through this process so those will be some of the ways we’ll pulse as
20:42
much recyclables as we can out of the system so so when things are done is a hundred percent used if someone came to you and said we have another project at the end you have no waste whatever is waste we take we reuse we sell we can split it we’ll make a deal that kind of stuff happened to you well that’s one of the things that we’ve also talked with energy about is that there are some things that their process can’t use but there are certainly others technologies like plasma arc systems and
21:12
you know that could utilize that material to turn it into some kind of a power or gas for power we’re gonna go on a break here and then come back I hope I’m doing it the right time if that clock doesn’t lie to me those wait later but Stewart stant Mike Miyamoto thank you I know breaking us away from them we’ll be back in a minute here at Kay it’s important to buckle up your kids I know sometimes car seats can be complicated I know and if your child’s in the wrong seat and you get into a
21:46
crash I know it could lead to a serious injury I know so you’re 100% sure you have the right car seat for your child’s age and size I don’t know don’t think you know no you know car crashes are leading killer of children 1 to 13 May sure you have the right car seat visit safercar.gov/therightseat a message from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council hi this is chuck and vince bode of the biscuits and gravy show join us every Wednesday at 11:00 as we broadcast live
22:17
from ke corner conspiracy cookbook that unique Chuck stuff the knowledge buffalo [Music] funding for KNK you 88.5 FM is provided by sponsors live jim bulk motors of Maui with sales and service on new and pre-owned vehicles open six days a week located at 260 Hana Highway in Kahului for more information visit jim fault GM comm or call 808 – 702 600 thanks again to jim bulk motors of maui for making the voice of Maui’s broadcast possible have you or someone you know been diagnosed with cancer
23:10
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23:48
and a half FM Jason Schwartz your host was Stewart Stant Mike Miyamoto from the office of economic as long as me I would like to thank office of environmental management thank you economic I thought I should be the director of economic many did I should use me but I would make a great economic development director in my mind so whoever is Mayor Mike or Ellie remember that face anyway but I see tremendous need to be open and you guys the fact that you’re so open about this means that this is I want to say oh I
24:32
work in progress that people that have ideas have an open place to be able to talk to through us and through you directly to talk about things that we’re talking about that are very important for the future of our island no matter who controls it okay you guys are pivotal okay so that’s why I’m so open about this and you are like you wanted to talk about the injection wells you know we have some kind of thing that we have to pay every day right how does that work and then what is come out of
25:02
the injection wells I know you’re talking about using it for other things please talk well just we’re right now not paying for any fines yet for injection wells not yet but so people Molly you know we process a lot of sewage could you imagine is island as a hundred sixty thousand people yeah so we process a lot of sewage in fact Kihei Lahaina and kala we all three do an average of four and a half million gallons a day of sewage so you’re talking of a lot of sewage that we got a process and try to
25:33
treat yes so and you know with the wastewater division having you know we’re talking to hundreds of so much miles of you know uh cesspool lines we have over ten plus miles of reclaim line which is the reuse water so getting to not only do the reuse water we can do the reuse water cost the county lot of money to process this water interviews but it’s again getting off takers to take the water so in nineteen 1996 I was involved with the first reuse project which was Kihei the Kihei wastewater reclamation division
26:08
they installed the first UV system which is an ultraviolet disinfection giving it the final process to make it what EPA would consider r1 stairs so like unlike the Kahului facility we don’t have a UV system there so Kahului the standards are – it’s just the the types of whatever the water quality is that EPA has a standard so in 86 we got that system installed and you can imagine since then we’ve wastewater division has spent over 94 million dollars on cleaning better water doing projects
26:44
where we can get people to use their reuse water so it’s not that people don’t want the reuse water it’s getting it to them that the key here for city fortunately we had the golf course right next to it we have a we have a main gallon tank that we can you know that we have gravity fed to Kalama Park for years we support the Central Park so there’s a lot of different users for this r1 water so that’s remain by off people that use it yes well actually we have a lot our goal is to be a hundred
27:19
percent use but we can’t get the water out you know it costs so much money we did a project where we wanted to run a pipe all the way out to the Wailea site or like you know to uh that subdivisions there where they could use the water but I believe the project and just the pipes alone were and construction like over ten million dollars so it’s just using water so right now currently at all of our facilities we put about seventy percent into the injection wells the other 30% of your use okay the reason so
27:50
I’m asking I mean someone out there is gonna make some responses yesterday but what I keep going toward is you want percent use of this stuff yes and someone to buy it in some fashion and take it off your hands and the you have no you’re not making money from all the rest of this and you’re not really looking at as a prophet sent there’s someone else that feels they can use it and you’ve explored quite a few things I’m sure right we actually have in Kihei we actually buy by necks I’m gonna say next summer
28:29
so I don’t get some maybe sometime next year the Kihei wastewater reclamation facility will be a hundred percent reuse so those injection was won’t be send anyone out into the ocean nope they’ll be used as backup for example it’s safe it rains for 40 days nobody wants our water so we have to dispose of it somewhere so the injection wells will be used not as the primary disposal method but as an a backup in case we I’m going back to what I said wearily which is this is non-toxic so if we created a
29:00
some facility could it be good for growing of course we’re good for growing all that central thing that we talked about called central Maui basin that needs water all this water could go out there but there’s a way of how to getting across land so if someone in the private sector saw value in the private sector of making money this is where economic development just they would put up the cost of the pipe and they would become the user so we just operating from let the county do it we’re all sitting here
29:32
as private citizens waiting for the government to do it when in fact what I just proposed a private sector solution that could help get rid of all the waste water stop the injection well problem I’m just saying right yeah and also Jason don’t do add that we make some very clean water that’s I could think to point out yeah but I standards are high yeah and I’m just bringing up because this cesspool thing and I mean people that’s talking to me I mean obviously you know about this stuff you guys are
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in charge of whatever you’re trying to do the best that’s why I’m asking the way I am because we’re still in solution of trying to find them solve that one also but I hope I’m not cutting to the chase here too much what’s the most important thing about all this thing it you really think the public needs to better understand anything well I think they’re all important absolutely from the trash pickup to injection wells or using reuse water in a matter of money it’s a matter
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of the best technology because private sector can come in and make money on some of this stuff which means all these solutions could happen if we have the private sector involved in creating the solutions not waiting for the government to find the money to put the pipe out to do this and do that there are other solutions that will make money in the private sector I’m just bringing it up because we have enough water to put water in the base and grow all the food we won’t be so sustainable sell
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everyone’s issues potentially I’m just saying I personally I have no opinions of you see now each weekend we get out but I hope you don’t feel attacked because you know we’re talking about important subjects that people have you’ve been in this job now a while and you’ve got a few more months at least at least three three months at least three months and if God willing whoever is our new mayor will recognize the strength of this department in its leaders and its leadership and direction and I think of
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elections as a bump in the road because a good plan will go on I’ve been working on this maui arts a music thing and live showcases for twenty god knows years this wasn’t gray in fact i couldn’t grow it at the time people said i had to look older I’ve gotten there well whoever is in our seats yeah we have already started the process of putting all the projects together and getting like that you know the direction we had and the future directions not meaning that the new director will have the same
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direction but at least it gives them something to look at and say okay I want to continue with this direction I want to continue with these projects so that’ll be left up to but at least we’ll have something to hand him you’re not just gonna sit in a chair and okay good luck no we’re already in a process of making it the transition work really well for whoever takes out I I got that but I’m hoping that what we’re doing is creating a spirit of cooperation and understanding
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of job well done needs to be projects continued you know we find the political stuff the way it gets in the way is mayor one has a different opinion mayor two and maybe three mayor four and somehow when it all gets down to We the People we still have problems and things get it’s like patchwork when I hear about good management in a department and management style and the need for understanding about directors and direction of a County that’s overpopulating and getting in giving you more craps and trash crap and trash by a
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development in different ways you know and I am just excited about the bridge work we’re doing here it’s a new bridge into many what’s called take an idea and put it in the private sector and relieve the burden of the county and I mean if we can go into this openly share this profit to be made and openly share here’s where the money goes and where it’s gone and where it’s coming and doing so that all that political stuff is out the window that we’re doing this and we’re doing it
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well in getting people in the private sector compensated there all that stuff and I’m bringing it up specifically in a political climate to say we’re not that I’m really looking for technology solutions from you and sounds like your commitment and I can talk to you I was like I said he’s the tech he’s the brains you’ve looked at lots of technologies and you’re open to looking at all yeah we have a prime example in you know how we had the CND lanch of the construction and demolition waste
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landfill closed out in Malaya yes so when they closed all of that materials started coming in to the county at our central Maui landfill two private companies are working on how to take their construction waste and recycle as much of it as they can and then though the recipe will come to us so that will reduce the amount of stuff that we landfill and they’ll be profitable for the private sector to conduct a business good I mean rfp’s not really it’s just people being aware of this so maybe
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that’s what we’re doing or open up communication in a new way with people to share about what is going on to get creative minds out there who are you know this is bureaucrat and marketing and engineering we need people with all kinds of skills that’s why my whole thing began at were years ago and my nonprofit because I don’t see that political line I see what’s take the best of what we can do and will come out the other end with solutions I mean I’m feeling a tremendous openness here with
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you that many would think welcome you have people Kelly King doesn’t like that person and Nellie doesn’t like that person and God knows what victory no I say that with respect I say that with the fact that all the political things aside I am looking and feel are there any things that people are gonna want me to have shared or talked about better somehow controversial that you’d like to explain a position of anything people constantly asking about the injection will you also this and then and just so
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people know you know we didn’t move on this direction Jason on getting a hundred percent you know we just moved in this direction because I felt we were wasting a resource that we could be using right so as your initiative that made this all happen well no I have I have really reacted I have really good people working for me in my department it’s incredible what they’ve been able to do I know off screen here we have otherwise all my boss and we’re not supposed to point on my boss there but I
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think another one you know that might be an issue that um maybe we can talk about a little is um the Kahului facility being in the tsunami zone I think that was uh it’s a big on you know we get a lot of calls and our doors always open to talk to people let them know but I want Maui to know that that that that Conley facility yes it’s in a tsunami zone but our direction went when I came where there’s like let’s move this call we plan let’s pay 150 million 200 move the plan now the Kali facility right now it’s a
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it does about four and a half mg DS so me and gallons a day of sewage now we have another pumping station it’s you’re on a lower main that’s our Wailuku pumping station it’s like right on the beach it said by the Quonset huts you see down the one that a lot of people thought people were dumping sewage in the ocean but it’s actually they’re putting it into a one of the pipes there that pump station does over three million gallons a day so our thoughts and we have our wastewater division
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working on this is I want to move that pump station move it up out of the tsunami zone and I want to create a facility like the colony plant where we can use the water at the park there we can use the water into a tank where we can pump it like towards Maui Lani side using the Maui land pine and pipes but why I’m saying that is because if we do that project the Kahului plant will get me having maybe 1.8 million gallons of sewage coming through the colony plant which would mean what it would mean us
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just making a little Kahului pumping station they’re no longer facilities zone keep a pumping station quoting it’s not really reserve but have a pumping stations there that isn’t your main thing and all of this this entering it all together the energy project that will well cover what’s needed in calm we take and save a couple of million I don’t know dollars million change at least dollars a year it sounds like you’re doing the right things where’s the public fighting I I believe it’s
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it’s not the public’s fault I believe they they know a little they know a little here a little there and what what happens is someone thinks they know and start saying things that’s not true and and and that’s why we’ve always had an open door I have never turned away anyone who was called our office I’ve welcomed them if they want to know about a project I’ll sit down and explain you even shared that some of the politicians and some of the people in office both come to you and want to get educated is
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really good things very healthy I’m glad you guys are doing some kind of presentation if not I’m applying for the job we’ve actually taken a mouthful we’ve actually taken him out to our wastewater treatment plants because some of the members wanted to see the actual final process of the water and they could not even pick how’s this he said we filled up two bottles with the reclaimed water though our one water and drinking water right they could not tell which bottle was which well when one would drink it
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it’s not tough would there be why the reason you know I mean what we’re saying is to the eye together you know there are people out there water experts in Tennessee yeah is it drinkable one more process and it would be reverse osmosis oral process so is there an outlet for all this to go to an our own group that’s a discussion with another department yes I’m just talking about things together and taking down walls you know I think sometimes administration has a problem and the problem is that they you can address
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this better than me can’t motivate your people if you’re telling them what to do and they don’t make their own idea then we can all be talking about the same thing but people want to not feel controlled they want to feel inspired to do and that’s probably why people are healthy in your department because it’s part of your whole and I I don’t I don’t think it’s like with supervisors managers even people or whatever whatever level they are in government it’s not their fault
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it’s experiences they’ve gone through the only reason I would have never learned what I did if I didn’t go to five different supervisor positions while working in wastewater without going through those experiences you’re not gonna get what you need so even people somebody who the way Mike thinks micromanagement is might be different what I think micromanaging is so but at the end of the day it all affects the people that work for you and that’s key well I I mean the fact that you’re all
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here and you’re you came together as a team to me is very very telling and it reminds me of the day maybe this is another breakthrough Joe Souki may he be honored for the good he’s done he did an interview with me and had his publicity person there because they were concerned that I was going to be talking about at the time some deal that someone made an accusation about and all that kind of stuff and I leave room I didn’t bring it up at all they wanted to talk about it you know and I’m gonna bring it
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up so I said it’s really a very powerful thing when someone that is in charge is willing to take all questions at 8 7 3 3 4 3 5 kku 88.5 FM I’m Jason Schwartz it was through its that Mike Miyamoto of the County Department of Environmental Management that was my every 15 minutes we let them know you got that down well you know because I’m doing this live for other things I don’t think about it I told them I want a flashing light every 15 minutes that’ll tell me how am I do she’s a great front representative she’s
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like in charge of the department huh you have Rob Parsons in your department not in my department okay so he’s working for the mayor directly Office of Economic Development he’s in that office of economic development that does that or is that the council I get confused sometimes and when I’m watching who’s control and then who does it cuz I think of it when I think of environment think of Rob Parsons I’ve known in many years even before he was in that position III think you might be I think the word our
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department environmental but if you really think about it we really just do sewage trash and a recycle about a vehicle sorry I think sometimes I will get a lot of calls in fact she can tell you we get a lot of calls on environmental issues because of the name of our department that you guys know State Department of Health so our Rob Parsons might be a guy to talk about that with everyone but I’m trying to figure out how to handle a conversation you know if y’all on it maybe I can give you a little info on
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the cesspools because I was living up maca ranch acres for years back in the early 90s and I had a cesspool and after the you age came up with that I got I got time left just give me a week I’ll talk really quick but so Andy leach came out you know and and Maui is a high priority because I believe it’s 74 hundred of those cesspool that’s in a priority one that they’re saying they’re finding this this you know this bacteria this we heard is in it’s not country question yeah so that’s in the
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the ways come out of the wealth the water wells that are down it’s seeping into the groundwater yeah so every homeowner in theory has to either remove and replace with something better yes who finances that they themselves at the plant at this time yes that would be there’s no third party coming in and saying we’ve got the solution like Mighty Mouse or those guys but we could any people talking about taking some of those things I’m getting em up knowing yes for effects but no it’s what cutting
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edge means exactly it means people coming to mike Miyamoto with ideas that we are baked but also if at your cost people get involved in pilot projects and stuff with you actually we are going to have a pilot project the council in approving our FY 19 budget put in a pilot project to to test out a technology that would help the people with cesspools know okay yes so we put that project that’s important for people to know is there a number or where they can get in touch with things about that
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who would be what department would that be maybe the water people I’m sure we’ll put that out as soon as uh whatever consultants is assigned with this project so you can see I break all these rules about I don’t know which department is which I just you know that we don’t we don’t handle cesspools but so we get we got it always talked about we got involved in a cesspool just to look at because the bottom line is gonna be Jason no matter what the technology is out there it’s gonna be a cost and I
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think for the people of Maui it’s I don’t care if it costs you only $100 it people nowadays it’s it’s hard to come up with money to put in this system to replace there’s there cesspool there so that’s gonna be the major issue we had talked about you know a couple ideas one of them I talked about and I guess I can say to you please you’re here what am I talked about is I actually wrote a letter to the state asking for some funding from the Clean Water Act that they had there is there’s some
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money here or what I wanted was to take a look first at this pilot project we have that we’re gonna do for Helene ho and Hana once we get the results of that pilot project I’d like to go out and take a look at systems that we can install at residence but I know the average residents not gonna be able to put the money up so we’re looking at it as hey what if we did this where the county of Maui wastewater my division chief is gonna kill me now for wastewater but if we were to take this
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take over the cesspools and get this this systems in form and have the user put them on now what do we call you sewer fees so like everyone who is on a sewer system is paying a sewer fee for the sewage now the people who have that we replace these say these cesspools whatever we look at the cost we get these replaced right and we put them on a cesspool sewer fee for X amount of years or however it takes to pay this system off but what it would do is now getting people on the Sufi see we can’t
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we can’t run sewage pipes up country if we could do that or just the cost alone it just wouldn’t make sense and we looked at it but owners of properties can the only thing we’re all concerned about is all of us the cost of housing and every time I hear about anything like this I think about everything getting added to the price of an already absurd cost a little place to live so but I just keep thinking there’s gonna be an answer here some company in the private sector it’s an eye reaching out
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if you can hear when I hear problems that you have the only things I think is more public input on the cutting edge that can come in and say we can use some of this to to make our business greater I hope we’re on an island here folks especially with the crap and the trash you know if we don’t realize we can’t have it here we’ve got to find solutions and like this this is a really you know someone that has money I don’t want to point today and be a good fellow but I do you need a point tonight I’m not
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pointing didn’t it would be to their advantage not only socially I guess politically but goodwill is so important they live on this island and in the future of our island it’s going to take strong leadership in the private sector that then has the public sector help them make these good projects easier to happen and take the burden off someone like yourself and yourself and your so she gets the front line yes I know she gets all the phone calls you know she’s been able to stay beautiful just knowing
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that you’re dealing with a subject subject there were even an art thing you probably we know that Jason can get confused and you know I’m not a scripted guy but that’s what I hope is hiding it’s awesome I don’t you know you know the public needs to hear it as the public you know they need to understand so that they understand it so it’s why I don’t like to pre do stuff because I’m asking questions that I think everyone’s gonna ask and so that’s why I call ways um rolling back to
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things like here’s an off the mold this is only me Molokai how’s our Molokai water situation we got such a dry place what’s the word on renewable technologies or what are they doing there what are you doing now I hear about how’s that for an open palette you would take this for us Molokai oh you know our wastewater system really doesn’t have that big of a you know it’s primarily in the Konica area so we don’t have a big flow of wastewater coming in that we could then
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treat and reuse that water so all the kite is very limited as to how much volume of water we wastewater I should say we have water Department that’s another department that handles that isn’t that something so we now know that the wastewater is being hand responsibly and you have a trash dump it’s a little too far in town for the most people on it’s all uphill and so when they have to walk with shopping carts and things but I don’t do you have any stations in town for people that may
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be a recycling thing in town would be an interesting additional may be someone running it would do it on a commission now be fun yes someone because we do have what Recycling’s at the landfill obviously everything’s at the landfill we have four high five we have recyclables we have green waste that we make into what we mulch it so people can come get mulch we also have some metal facility that can take care of some of the appliances I get disposal yeah also Jason if I may add so people watching
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now is um I apologize if your trash has ever been like delayed it’s gonna be of two two issues either the mechanical or work we don’t have enough manpower whether somebody on vacation or taking me but we we never miss routes it’s just delayed with the exception of this last hurricane because I’m sure these are the guys that we’re making sure you aren’t swimming on our own refuse thank you for a gun anything coming up that we should be all taking care of anything important we’ll be
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putting something out a press release sometime this evening we’re tracking down Olivia so but the last well we had to close down the landfill I know is a huge issue in fact we usually pick up only about I believe is 2200 tons of was it 200 tons of trash we ended up getting over 20 tons the day of the week but we’re averaging somewhere between two and three hundred tons from the residential customers that we have the county system we picked up 400 something tons yet Monday the day after the Monday
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after when all that stuff goes into the landfill what is it this EK o do they take some of the waste stream from and then it goes and you get the rest or they’re a separate thing but on the same land really much you take it separate yeah so you take this refuge you go to the hill right now yeah right now it goes to the hill and you know we have active areas of the landfill and you know the commercial businesses are primary ones that are dumping in there and when they come in and we level it
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all try to compact it as much as possible we don’t want to waste space in that landfill with the air so we compacted and then at the end of the day you know we have to cover it with either it’s going to be we have a tarp that we can pull over it on and remove it in the morning or we put so many inches of dirt to prevent you know airborne trash vector control and everything and then the guys go around the landfill and pick up trash at the end of the day I see so what does anyone ever come and said to
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you what you’re using is trash we want this we think it’s a harvest we would like all your trash or we’re gonna start by showing you we’re gonna take your trash and we’re gonna deal with a hundred percent does anyone come to you like that no we didn’t want to wait for that to happen because we had this integrated solid waste management plan that were you supposed to update every 10 years see I’m looking at y’all making those landfills go away by taking our stuff making some products out of it
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that can go off island do you get an exportable product or trash somehow reprocessed into something of value as an example yeah we’re always looking to try and keep it local because it the cost is in shipping something away for example like our residential recycling centers it cost us three hundred three dollars a ton to get but I’m not asking wanting to burden you that says 57 if you guys need me you’re gonna come in and grab like in the for instance I hope they come and hit the right button if I
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over talked I am here with Stewart’s that Mike Miyamoto we could talk for more and more and more we might have a second left but the most important thing of this we’re at 88.5 FM where the voice of Maui we hope you’ll come back and visit us or at the Maui neutral zone it’s the neutral zone but Maui neutral zone calm you’ll be able to see this show and all the other but also we’re an open door to anything we talk about with the people that we talk about it with it has been a
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distinct pleasure to have you on the show I know you probably think we could have talked more about specific things and if we can create dialogue that’s gonna make things better if we can do video or audio or anything to make things better we’re there with you appreciate those people in the world wouldn’t it be nice if you had people working in the county like these are working for our benefit when we know that we can participate not only in the voting part but we can participate when
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non voting is happening to contribute good ideas and positive things to make our island better and take some of the junk and turn it into the jewels that we know we are in its mouth County we have to keep our image up and our image is self sustainable model for the world I’ve been talking about it since 1991 and I’m still here and I’m still talking about it it’s really a pleasure I know they’re gonna cut me off or tell me so we’re gonna probably end this look at that thank you so much thank you 30 seconds
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no I just want to say thank you for having opportunity were more than open because I believe in all those subjects we covered we can do an hour show but I am more than open to sit with you and you do TV I guess the TV okay we put other videos and things in there help explain some of these important subjects in a better way maybe getting up some questions all laid out from your viewers and things and then we can sit on a gold rock show those questions and do it on a video phone thank you for joining us
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today we’re gonna be putting some closing music that I think you’ll know it’s from lono it’s gold unlock the hope well i sang as years ago still a good song the time has come I like to think of my mommy for loving me so much for taking me to the doctor when I broke my foot for leaving me alone when I wanted to be alone and now as a grownup I’m thankful
