Aloha Council and Chair,
I wanted to share some additional resources which might be helpful in your decision making.
Ideally we would have had bio-filtration socks/compost socks installed months ago to help with toxic-debris run off control measures on the island. I feel like I failed our island for not being able to push harder for these interventions to be laid out as they were in other fires across the West Coast and to see the rains and the runoff happening right now has been a heavy weight on my heart.
As of now bioremediation has not been built into the Federal Wildfire Clean up programs. We have been working on getting it adopted and this week we have Jennifer Gray Thompson from After the Fires speaking to Congress to push for getting these interventions built in on a Federal level so that it doesn't fall on the County/State or private citizens to do on their own dime.
In lieu of that we have had to find creative ways of building it into programs to get it covered after other fires.
After the CampFire, Butte County submitted a proposal to Cal OES, and that led to the very first trial of sediment/toxic debris-run-off control measures utilizing myco and bioremediation to scale. That trial created some of the original structure to create this new program enacted on Oct 19th 2019 in the N. Complex burned areas, and then it informed how we got it covered for the CZU fires in 2020 in Santa Cruz County. It is good to note that in both of these cases the ash was still taken away to a toxic-waste facility so the community did not have to deal with the long term impacts.
I believe that the best practice that should be adopted post fire should be:
1.) Removal of highly toxic footprints (not just the batteries themselves) by the EPA
2.) All highly toxic areas get surrounded by compost socks, mycosocks, sprayed with liquid amendments and covered with biochar and tarps while we wait for Phase 2 clean up to happen. Since this was not able to happen- at the very least if we can introduce the liquid amendments and ensure better run-off control measures are in place during the phase 2 clean up as we WILL get storms while it is happening and run-off is happening.
3.)Toxic debris run off control measures including compost socks and mycosocks be laid on contour (or keyline depending on the area) to ensure that there is no run off happening from these sites.
4.) Run off areas be identified and appropriate swales, berms and retention basins to be created to ensure the protection of all watershed/ocean and sensitive ecosystems are protected and bioremediaion efforts should be integrated in these areas. (note none of this would slow down the Phase 2 clean up in anyway... these are all efforts that can be happening alongside)
5.) Spraying liquid bioamendments on the sites so that we have the microbes working on the material to help neutralize as many of the toxins as possible while we are waiting for the phase 2 clean up to happen. We all know that the Phase 2 clean up will take many months and so it is easy for the applications of liquid bioamendments to happen while we wait for the clean up to happen and to be happening alongside the clean up without it slowing anything down.
6.) Have bioremediation experts be part of the design for the temporary holding site so that we can ensure we have the best chance of neutralizing the most toxins possible so that wherever this permanent toxic debris goes... it is least toxic for the people, the environment and for the workers.
7.) As the issue of Heavy metals came up quite a lot, there are studies done both with certain fungi, microbes, biochar, followed by vermiculture (using worms that then get incinerated) followed by phytoremediation (using plants and algaes) to chelate heavy metals. If we can build in plans to have scientists working on the best possible bioremediation plans for post-fire clean up- this could also be deeply helpful for communities around the world who are impacted by future wildfires.
Maui can be a leader in this space- and there is still so much to learn because there have been so few longitudinal studies done.
I encourage you to look at the work that CoRenewal did as they studied mycoremediation across multiple Megafires between 2020-2024.
I also know that sometimes the way to get FEMA to cover costs for things depends on the wording and while they are not currently covering "bioremediation" They have covered "Toxic debris run-off-control measures" and "Erosion Control".
Below I wanted to just share how we have been able to get these things covered in California and I know that there is also funding under Mitigation (preventing secondary disasters) and I encourage you to find the ways that it can get covered under whatever language is needing to be used.
This is what worked for Butte County and Santa Cruz County which we also sent to Talent after their fires .
The program is a partnership (working group) of The County, FEMA, CAL OES, The State Water Quality Board, and The Department of Water Resources. In the CZU fire due to the past relationship between the County and Cal Oes, this time the county did not have to create a proposal, just a request to OES.. Which was approved rather quickly when the proper request was made because they had already seen it in action for Butte County.
Here’s how we did it (Per our County Planning Department)
The incident needs to be declared a health Emergency by the incident Health Officer. This allows OES to enter property without an ROE. This is important due to the timeliness of the work.
Then an "Emergency Response Request" must be submitted by the County Emergency Services Coordinator to Cal OES Incident Commander who will then determine priority / eligibility. In Butte County we got this approved on the bases of 2 main factors:
A. Economic Recovery
B. Reducing Risk to Life and Health (polluting drinking water / wells, and sensitive watershed)
C. For CZU in Last Chance we also referenced fish spawning streambeds for protected species
In Butte County, We used water quality as our main argument, because of Lake Oroville and lake Madrone, but in other Counties the language of debris flow or protection of Reef may be a better argument. I think this will be determined by your incident, resource impacts, and local agencies. Remember that the government mainly protects people and infrastructure assets. Focus is on density of homes and proximity of waterways (1st and 2nd order streams).
Then Cal OES requested for funding from FEMA. Then they will create a "Mission Task" for the operation, assign either a State agency (in our case the CCC’s) or hire private contractors to complete the project scope. The other great thing that was tied to this was that due to materials being focused on structural debris flows, the sediment controls (wattles / compost socks) will be removed in Phase 2 cleanup at no additional expense to the county / OES / homeowner.
I hope that this will be helpful for Maui and of course I am always here as a resource and you are welcome to reach out anytime if I can provide further clarity and support.
I live Pāpaikou, Hawaiʻi Island and volunteer with the Maui Bioremediation Group. I am currently a PhD student researching the political and technologial dimensions of bioremediation in Hawaiʻi, and for my Masterʻs thesis done at Humboldt State University I co-researched the process of implementing mycoremediation at community scales. Mycoremediation is partnering with decomposer fungi to clean contaminated soils and waters. In this research, I have found that the current BMPs employ primarily chemical and mechanical methods which, for the most part, only package up and move elsewhere or disperse contaminants further into the environment. They also, more often than not, require further environmental pollution to acheive their disperal or removal goals. Myco- and microbial remediation actually molecularly disassembles chemical pollutants and, in the case of biochar and phytoremediation, immobilize heavy metals. It is way past time that bioremediation be incorporated into Federal, State, and County post-disaster BMPs. Unprecedented disasters like this require unprecedented solutions. This is an opportunity for Maui to set the standard for really effective healing of ʻāina and wai in ways that are pono. Bioremediation, in conversation with existing chemical and mechanical BMPs, is the path forward. The community should lead the way, and bioremediation happens only through collaboration across social and political scales. Please move in ways that make this collaboration possible. It is essential.
We know you are concerned about the future of Maui, our precious gem in the Pacific, beloved by the entire world. We are all heartbroken about what happened in Lahaina. And, we understand that you feel rushed to clear the debris and allow people to rebuild.
However, it is CRITICAL that what transpires next is based first and foremost on safety for the ongoing health of the island and it's residents. Per DOH, the toxins in the debris include dioxins, arsenic, lead, antimony, cobalt, and copper, and heavy metals. Landfill liners degrade significantly over time under stressful sloping, large volumes of waste, and other conditions similar to the proposed Olowalu toxic waste site. It is not a matter of if the toxins will reach populations and the reef, but when it will happen. Experts have testified that once it leaks into the drinking water, there would be no stopping it from expanding, thus poisoning the area for many future generations.
Maui’s top public health official, Dr. Lorrin Pang, Hawaii State Department of Health Office, publicly expressed opposition to the toxic ash disposition site at Olowalu. He stated there would be a minimum of 50 years of toxicity in the ash, and with the interaction of different plastic chemical compounds, there could be 300 carcinogenic chemical compounds, and it only takes 1 to give you cancer.
It could take years, not months before Lahaina is safe for rebuilding. According to John Stufflebean, the director of Maui County’s Department of Water Supply, based on other comparable wildfire disasters, estimated, "Restoring the [drinking water] system could take two to three years and could hold up redevelopment efforts.
So, instead of rushing to a quick solution that has all it's own dangers and costs, including potentially permanently polluting the aquifer system of west Maui in a site and facility inadequate to handle the need, it would be prudent to take the time necessary to consider all the proposed solutions, put out a query about/ research additional possible solutions, and catalogue and rate them by such criteria as effectiveness, feasibility, track record, cost, timeline/ longevity, dangers and risks.
Possible solutions. In the testimonies you received last Tuesday, there were many other options suggested:
One that was mentioned frequently was bioremediation, either on site, or at another location. Maui Bioremediation Group is working on an excellent solution for onsite bioremediation which can then be transported to another location; they will be presenting their proposal to you tomorrow, Thursday. There were also suggestions for moving it to other locations, likely better than at Olowalu, such as the land near the current dump, to Johnston Atoll, or to a toxic waste site on the mainland. Another suggestion was making polymerized bricks on site out of the ashes that would lock in the toxins and could be used for a memorial or building materials. Waste to energy was another suggestion that could be considered.
There are also other possibilities, like using transitional elements to revert the ash and debris back to its original elemental state where it is inert, harmless, and can be used as building material, several times harder than concrete. And even technology to separate out the human remains of the tragic loss.
So, instead of jumping to a quick solution that could cause serious problems for the island and it's residents for potentially generations to come, we urge you to take the time to carefully consider all possible recommendations, and to develop a plan that will allow for the continued safety of the island. The residents of Maui and tourists will want to know that you've made the safest choices.
Sincere thanks for your careful consideration of best solutions, for the future of the aina.
Kathleen Gildred, resident of Maui Meadows
Environmental Consultant
Author of "Maui Plan for Sustainability" written for and used by Mayor Apana in 1999
Founding Director of the So CA Council on Environment & Development (SCCED)
Author, "Personal Action Guide" written for the United Nations Environment Program, 1989
Testimony on SOIL STABILIZATION AND REMEDIATION (ADEPT-1(12))
From: Tamara Farnsworth
January 11, 2023
Aloha e Chair Johnson and Members of the A.D.E.P.T. Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on Agenda Item ADEPT-1(12) SOIL STABILIZATION AND REMEDIATION.
I am speaking through the lens of a former environmental protection specialist, systems designer, sometimes permaculturist, and longtime myco-enthusiast. I was employed by the County of Maui within the Environmental Protection & Sustainability Division for nearly a decade and graduated many years ago from UH at Manoa with an interdisciplinary degree focused on environmental issues. I have been in pursuit of spiritual, artistic, political, systemic, scientific, technical, and indigenous solutions to environmental issues for nearly my entire adult life. Myco-remediation and other bioremediation modalities have fascinated me for a long time as I have learned about mushroom bodies and mycelium, Korean farming, the bokashi method of composting, indigenous micro-organisms or IMO’s, and most recently, biochar. It is my personal and professional opinion that bioremediation holds many keys to mitigating the toxicity of the ash and soils from the burned areas in both the Kula and Lahaina wildfire tragedies and may provide new models of how communities can address toxins in their own environments.
I am encouraged that the county administration and council have been exploring methods and technologies to address the toxicity of the ash and debris from Lahaina. I deeply appreciate the openness and the process of discovery for expanding our knowledge on the subject.
For the proposals of using bioremediation within the burn scar, please consider some thoughts on logistics:
• Start with a proof-of-concept pilot of 5-20 parcels within Lahaina with special ROE’s on this land using various fungi, micro-organisms, worms, biochar, and other types of bioremediation as guided by local bioremediation expert contractors, funded by the county
• Vendors propose costs per square foot or per 5000 square foot lot for the pilots and/or a larger project
• Work with landfill engineers to ensure these methods and materials are in compliance with all disposal regulations
• Online opt-in option for a ROE amendment if folks want to include this or other updates in their agreement, if legally and logistically practical
• Possibly subsidize the costs for bioremediation to the soils for opt-in homeowners or include it in the workplan for Phase 2 clean-up
I also support the use of these types of bioremediative applications within the landfill if it is practical and would align with current landfill procedures and protocols.
Properly prepared and charged biochar, in particular, rises to the top as a mitigative intervention within a containment area in terms of relative availability, well-established technology, cost-effectiveness, and ease of application, serving the dual purpose of absorbing liquids and binding heavy metals. “Biochar is commonly used as an adsorbent/immobilizer of heavy metals from water and substrates because of its wide—ranging raw materials, low production cost, and good adsorption performance.” (https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/23/3894) Its use is well-known to treat wastewater and industrial soils for heavy metal contaminants due to its “porous assemblage, large surface area, and high adsorption capacity of biochar” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128196717000026)
I strongly urge that the County of Maui and federal agencies pursue the standard use of biochar to mitigate heavy metals contamination within any landfill cell used for storage or final disposition of Lahaina’s ash and debris. Please consider working with industrial producers of biochar that can provide and deliver the quantity and quality needed for this task, applying a layer of properly charged biochar on top of the liner within any landfills; or perhaps apply to a leveled layer of cover material as soon as practicable after operations begin. Because this is such a well-known and effective mitigative measure, I believe this could also help to assuage at least some environmental concerns of the community.
We are fortunate to have worldly expertise and local `ike from credible folks who have been working in this space for a long time, driven by Lahaina solutions for the past 5 months. We have folks who not only have a county-funded biochar operation currently in production, but who have also been working to effectively address fire disaster issues and restoration of native forests upcountry; their expertise and mana`o are invaluable. I hope that these bioremediation initiatives move forward swiftly and boldly to help heal the land, air and waters.
Aloha Council and Chair,
I wanted to share some additional resources which might be helpful in your decision making.
Ideally we would have had bio-filtration socks/compost socks installed months ago to help with toxic-debris run off control measures on the island. I feel like I failed our island for not being able to push harder for these interventions to be laid out as they were in other fires across the West Coast and to see the rains and the runoff happening right now has been a heavy weight on my heart.
As of now bioremediation has not been built into the Federal Wildfire Clean up programs. We have been working on getting it adopted and this week we have Jennifer Gray Thompson from After the Fires speaking to Congress to push for getting these interventions built in on a Federal level so that it doesn't fall on the County/State or private citizens to do on their own dime.
In lieu of that we have had to find creative ways of building it into programs to get it covered after other fires.
After the CampFire, Butte County submitted a proposal to Cal OES, and that led to the very first trial of sediment/toxic debris-run-off control measures utilizing myco and bioremediation to scale. That trial created some of the original structure to create this new program enacted on Oct 19th 2019 in the N. Complex burned areas, and then it informed how we got it covered for the CZU fires in 2020 in Santa Cruz County. It is good to note that in both of these cases the ash was still taken away to a toxic-waste facility so the community did not have to deal with the long term impacts.
I believe that the best practice that should be adopted post fire should be:
1.) Removal of highly toxic footprints (not just the batteries themselves) by the EPA
2.) All highly toxic areas get surrounded by compost socks, mycosocks, sprayed with liquid amendments and covered with biochar and tarps while we wait for Phase 2 clean up to happen. Since this was not able to happen- at the very least if we can introduce the liquid amendments and ensure better run-off control measures are in place during the phase 2 clean up as we WILL get storms while it is happening and run-off is happening.
3.)Toxic debris run off control measures including compost socks and mycosocks be laid on contour (or keyline depending on the area) to ensure that there is no run off happening from these sites.
4.) Run off areas be identified and appropriate swales, berms and retention basins to be created to ensure the protection of all watershed/ocean and sensitive ecosystems are protected and bioremediaion efforts should be integrated in these areas. (note none of this would slow down the Phase 2 clean up in anyway... these are all efforts that can be happening alongside)
5.) Spraying liquid bioamendments on the sites so that we have the microbes working on the material to help neutralize as many of the toxins as possible while we are waiting for the phase 2 clean up to happen. We all know that the Phase 2 clean up will take many months and so it is easy for the applications of liquid bioamendments to happen while we wait for the clean up to happen and to be happening alongside the clean up without it slowing anything down.
6.) Have bioremediation experts be part of the design for the temporary holding site so that we can ensure we have the best chance of neutralizing the most toxins possible so that wherever this permanent toxic debris goes... it is least toxic for the people, the environment and for the workers.
7.) As the issue of Heavy metals came up quite a lot, there are studies done both with certain fungi, microbes, biochar, followed by vermiculture (using worms that then get incinerated) followed by phytoremediation (using plants and algaes) to chelate heavy metals. If we can build in plans to have scientists working on the best possible bioremediation plans for post-fire clean up- this could also be deeply helpful for communities around the world who are impacted by future wildfires.
Maui can be a leader in this space- and there is still so much to learn because there have been so few longitudinal studies done.
I encourage you to look at the work that CoRenewal did as they studied mycoremediation across multiple Megafires between 2020-2024.
I also know that sometimes the way to get FEMA to cover costs for things depends on the wording and while they are not currently covering "bioremediation" They have covered "Toxic debris run-off-control measures" and "Erosion Control".
Below I wanted to just share how we have been able to get these things covered in California and I know that there is also funding under Mitigation (preventing secondary disasters) and I encourage you to find the ways that it can get covered under whatever language is needing to be used.
This is what worked for Butte County and Santa Cruz County which we also sent to Talent after their fires .
The program is a partnership (working group) of The County, FEMA, CAL OES, The State Water Quality Board, and The Department of Water Resources. In the CZU fire due to the past relationship between the County and Cal Oes, this time the county did not have to create a proposal, just a request to OES.. Which was approved rather quickly when the proper request was made because they had already seen it in action for Butte County.
Here’s how we did it (Per our County Planning Department)
The incident needs to be declared a health Emergency by the incident Health Officer. This allows OES to enter property without an ROE. This is important due to the timeliness of the work.
Then an "Emergency Response Request" must be submitted by the County Emergency Services Coordinator to Cal OES Incident Commander who will then determine priority / eligibility. In Butte County we got this approved on the bases of 2 main factors:
A. Economic Recovery
B. Reducing Risk to Life and Health (polluting drinking water / wells, and sensitive watershed)
C. For CZU in Last Chance we also referenced fish spawning streambeds for protected species
In Butte County, We used water quality as our main argument, because of Lake Oroville and lake Madrone, but in other Counties the language of debris flow or protection of Reef may be a better argument. I think this will be determined by your incident, resource impacts, and local agencies. Remember that the government mainly protects people and infrastructure assets. Focus is on density of homes and proximity of waterways (1st and 2nd order streams).
Then Cal OES requested for funding from FEMA. Then they will create a "Mission Task" for the operation, assign either a State agency (in our case the CCC’s) or hire private contractors to complete the project scope. The other great thing that was tied to this was that due to materials being focused on structural debris flows, the sediment controls (wattles / compost socks) will be removed in Phase 2 cleanup at no additional expense to the county / OES / homeowner.
I hope that this will be helpful for Maui and of course I am always here as a resource and you are welcome to reach out anytime if I can provide further clarity and support.
Aloha Maui County Council,
I live Pāpaikou, Hawaiʻi Island and volunteer with the Maui Bioremediation Group. I am currently a PhD student researching the political and technologial dimensions of bioremediation in Hawaiʻi, and for my Masterʻs thesis done at Humboldt State University I co-researched the process of implementing mycoremediation at community scales. Mycoremediation is partnering with decomposer fungi to clean contaminated soils and waters. In this research, I have found that the current BMPs employ primarily chemical and mechanical methods which, for the most part, only package up and move elsewhere or disperse contaminants further into the environment. They also, more often than not, require further environmental pollution to acheive their disperal or removal goals. Myco- and microbial remediation actually molecularly disassembles chemical pollutants and, in the case of biochar and phytoremediation, immobilize heavy metals. It is way past time that bioremediation be incorporated into Federal, State, and County post-disaster BMPs. Unprecedented disasters like this require unprecedented solutions. This is an opportunity for Maui to set the standard for really effective healing of ʻāina and wai in ways that are pono. Bioremediation, in conversation with existing chemical and mechanical BMPs, is the path forward. The community should lead the way, and bioremediation happens only through collaboration across social and political scales. Please move in ways that make this collaboration possible. It is essential.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Sanae Hartmann
This is regarding Bill 120:
Dear Mayor Bissen and Maui County Council,
We know you are concerned about the future of Maui, our precious gem in the Pacific, beloved by the entire world. We are all heartbroken about what happened in Lahaina. And, we understand that you feel rushed to clear the debris and allow people to rebuild.
However, it is CRITICAL that what transpires next is based first and foremost on safety for the ongoing health of the island and it's residents. Per DOH, the toxins in the debris include dioxins, arsenic, lead, antimony, cobalt, and copper, and heavy metals. Landfill liners degrade significantly over time under stressful sloping, large volumes of waste, and other conditions similar to the proposed Olowalu toxic waste site. It is not a matter of if the toxins will reach populations and the reef, but when it will happen. Experts have testified that once it leaks into the drinking water, there would be no stopping it from expanding, thus poisoning the area for many future generations.
Maui’s top public health official, Dr. Lorrin Pang, Hawaii State Department of Health Office, publicly expressed opposition to the toxic ash disposition site at Olowalu. He stated there would be a minimum of 50 years of toxicity in the ash, and with the interaction of different plastic chemical compounds, there could be 300 carcinogenic chemical compounds, and it only takes 1 to give you cancer.
It could take years, not months before Lahaina is safe for rebuilding. According to John Stufflebean, the director of Maui County’s Department of Water Supply, based on other comparable wildfire disasters, estimated, "Restoring the [drinking water] system could take two to three years and could hold up redevelopment efforts.
So, instead of rushing to a quick solution that has all it's own dangers and costs, including potentially permanently polluting the aquifer system of west Maui in a site and facility inadequate to handle the need, it would be prudent to take the time necessary to consider all the proposed solutions, put out a query about/ research additional possible solutions, and catalogue and rate them by such criteria as effectiveness, feasibility, track record, cost, timeline/ longevity, dangers and risks.
Possible solutions. In the testimonies you received last Tuesday, there were many other options suggested:
One that was mentioned frequently was bioremediation, either on site, or at another location. Maui Bioremediation Group is working on an excellent solution for onsite bioremediation which can then be transported to another location; they will be presenting their proposal to you tomorrow, Thursday. There were also suggestions for moving it to other locations, likely better than at Olowalu, such as the land near the current dump, to Johnston Atoll, or to a toxic waste site on the mainland. Another suggestion was making polymerized bricks on site out of the ashes that would lock in the toxins and could be used for a memorial or building materials. Waste to energy was another suggestion that could be considered.
There are also other possibilities, like using transitional elements to revert the ash and debris back to its original elemental state where it is inert, harmless, and can be used as building material, several times harder than concrete. And even technology to separate out the human remains of the tragic loss.
So, instead of jumping to a quick solution that could cause serious problems for the island and it's residents for potentially generations to come, we urge you to take the time to carefully consider all possible recommendations, and to develop a plan that will allow for the continued safety of the island. The residents of Maui and tourists will want to know that you've made the safest choices.
Sincere thanks for your careful consideration of best solutions, for the future of the aina.
Kathleen Gildred, resident of Maui Meadows
Environmental Consultant
Author of "Maui Plan for Sustainability" written for and used by Mayor Apana in 1999
Founding Director of the So CA Council on Environment & Development (SCCED)
Author, "Personal Action Guide" written for the United Nations Environment Program, 1989
Testimony on SOIL STABILIZATION AND REMEDIATION (ADEPT-1(12))
From: Tamara Farnsworth
January 11, 2023
Aloha e Chair Johnson and Members of the A.D.E.P.T. Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on Agenda Item ADEPT-1(12) SOIL STABILIZATION AND REMEDIATION.
I am speaking through the lens of a former environmental protection specialist, systems designer, sometimes permaculturist, and longtime myco-enthusiast. I was employed by the County of Maui within the Environmental Protection & Sustainability Division for nearly a decade and graduated many years ago from UH at Manoa with an interdisciplinary degree focused on environmental issues. I have been in pursuit of spiritual, artistic, political, systemic, scientific, technical, and indigenous solutions to environmental issues for nearly my entire adult life. Myco-remediation and other bioremediation modalities have fascinated me for a long time as I have learned about mushroom bodies and mycelium, Korean farming, the bokashi method of composting, indigenous micro-organisms or IMO’s, and most recently, biochar. It is my personal and professional opinion that bioremediation holds many keys to mitigating the toxicity of the ash and soils from the burned areas in both the Kula and Lahaina wildfire tragedies and may provide new models of how communities can address toxins in their own environments.
I am encouraged that the county administration and council have been exploring methods and technologies to address the toxicity of the ash and debris from Lahaina. I deeply appreciate the openness and the process of discovery for expanding our knowledge on the subject.
For the proposals of using bioremediation within the burn scar, please consider some thoughts on logistics:
• Start with a proof-of-concept pilot of 5-20 parcels within Lahaina with special ROE’s on this land using various fungi, micro-organisms, worms, biochar, and other types of bioremediation as guided by local bioremediation expert contractors, funded by the county
• Vendors propose costs per square foot or per 5000 square foot lot for the pilots and/or a larger project
• Work with landfill engineers to ensure these methods and materials are in compliance with all disposal regulations
• Online opt-in option for a ROE amendment if folks want to include this or other updates in their agreement, if legally and logistically practical
• Possibly subsidize the costs for bioremediation to the soils for opt-in homeowners or include it in the workplan for Phase 2 clean-up
I also support the use of these types of bioremediative applications within the landfill if it is practical and would align with current landfill procedures and protocols.
Properly prepared and charged biochar, in particular, rises to the top as a mitigative intervention within a containment area in terms of relative availability, well-established technology, cost-effectiveness, and ease of application, serving the dual purpose of absorbing liquids and binding heavy metals. “Biochar is commonly used as an adsorbent/immobilizer of heavy metals from water and substrates because of its wide—ranging raw materials, low production cost, and good adsorption performance.” (https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/23/3894) Its use is well-known to treat wastewater and industrial soils for heavy metal contaminants due to its “porous assemblage, large surface area, and high adsorption capacity of biochar” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128196717000026)
I strongly urge that the County of Maui and federal agencies pursue the standard use of biochar to mitigate heavy metals contamination within any landfill cell used for storage or final disposition of Lahaina’s ash and debris. Please consider working with industrial producers of biochar that can provide and deliver the quantity and quality needed for this task, applying a layer of properly charged biochar on top of the liner within any landfills; or perhaps apply to a leveled layer of cover material as soon as practicable after operations begin. Because this is such a well-known and effective mitigative measure, I believe this could also help to assuage at least some environmental concerns of the community.
We are fortunate to have worldly expertise and local `ike from credible folks who have been working in this space for a long time, driven by Lahaina solutions for the past 5 months. We have folks who not only have a county-funded biochar operation currently in production, but who have also been working to effectively address fire disaster issues and restoration of native forests upcountry; their expertise and mana`o are invaluable. I hope that these bioremediation initiatives move forward swiftly and boldly to help heal the land, air and waters.
Mahalo nui,
Tamara Farnsworth
Bissen, will you listen and comprehend?