Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022

The county reports to its Environmental Management Commission next Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. regarding closing Large Capacity Cesspools in Pahala and Naalehu and replacement options. The meeting will be held in Kona and is available on zoom. See more below. Illustration from Hawai'i County

CONSERVE ENERGY. That's the word from Hawaiian Electric, which asked Hawaiʻi Island customers to reduce use of electricity from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday evening.
    "The need to conserve is urgent tonight and is prompted by the unavailability of three major generators. Hawaiian Electric's Hill 5 unit unexpectedly tripped offline this afternoon and two units at the Keahole Power Plant are undergoing annual scheduled maintenance. These units usually supply about 50 megawatts of power. In addition, wind resources are forecast to be low," says the statement from Hawaiian Electric.
    "Hawaiian Electric may not have enough firm generating capacity available to meet the evening peak demand. Energy conservation can help reduce demand so that even minimal wind resources may be able to offset any shortfall. Suggested steps include turning off or reducing use of lights and air conditioners, delaying showers, laundry and dishwashing activities, and going out for dinner or minimizing cooking until later in the evening."
    Hawaiian Electric reports that it is also taking these steps:
    Asking large commercial customers, including hotels and resorts, to voluntarily reduce energy use, especially heavy equipment and air conditioning.
    Placing maintenance personnel on standby to address unexpected issues.
    Requesting maximum output available from Puna Geothermal Venture
    The utility states that "By reducing demand, Hawaiian Electric can ensure enough electricity is available and prevent the need to initiate rolling, 30-minute outages. If rolling outages are necessary, Hawaiian Electric will make every effort to use social media to notify customers in the affected areas in advance. Please check @HIElectricLight on Twitter for updates."

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NĀ'ALEHU AND PĀHALA SEWAGE TREATMENT OPTIONS go to the Environmental Management Commission's meeting next Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held in Kona and is available on zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/16031058165 (Meeting ID: 160 3105 8165) or phone 1-669-2545252 (Enter the meeting ID). The county took over the old gang sewer system from the sugar plantations in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu and is obligated to replace them, under order from the Environmental Protection Agency.
    The county report to the commission says: "The Wastewater Division of the Department of Environmental Management has submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency its Feasibility Evaluation Report to identify the legal and technical feasibility of four potential wastewater treatment project options to replace the large capacity cesspools in these two communities. The report will be posted upon its acceptance by the EPA."
    Department of Environmental Management states that it has also begun the "next phase of the process, engaging with consultants to begin the Preliminary Engineering Report on the feasible options. A public community informational meeting was held on August 31 at Nā‘ālehu Community Center. More than 30 residents of Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu attended to learn about the status of the gang cesspool closure project, and to ask questions of DEM representatives in attendance."  The next public meeting will be scheduled for February 2023 in the Pāhala Community Center. The revised AOC may be viewed at: https://www.epa.gov/uic/closure-cesspools-pahala-andnaalehu-administrative-order-consent-county-hawaii