Public invited to discuss
proposed sewage recycler
The city will hold an information workshop Jan. 26 for people with questions and concerns about an egg-shaped facility that would convert sewage into fertilizer.
The city is proposing that the Houston-based Synagro build and run the $34 million conversion facility.
The city disagrees with project detractors who want the procedure tested before using it here and says it would end the practice of burying 25,000 tons of sludge a year in the city landfill, according to a release announcing the workshop.
"The city considers the technology, as well as Synagro's operations and product, to be safe and beneficial for the community," the release said.
Councilman Romy Cachola, who represents the district that includes Sand Island, has said he would like the pellets tested to see if they are safe.
Other community organizations and businesses -- including the Kalihi-Palama and Salt Lake neighborhood boards, the Kalihi-Palama Community Council, Matson Navigation, EarthJustice, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 and the Sand Island Business Association -- oppose the project because of safety concerns.
Experts who have been asked to speak at the workshop include Roger Fujioka, of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Hawaii; Pamela Racey, of Synagro; Jeffrey MacDonald, of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District; David Lewis, of the University of Georgia Department of Marine Sciences; Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science; and Robert Bastian, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Wastewater Management.
The workshop is set for 9 a.m. to noon at the Blaisdell Center's Maui Room, with a possible afternoon session if needed.