GBB Assisting County of Maui with Development of Solid Waste Management Blueprint

(Fairfax, VA –April 27, 2007)- Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB) announced today that it has contracted with the County of Maui, Hawai’i to assist in the preparation of an Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (new Plan).

The GBB Project Team will investigate the reasonable alternatives and best practices in the collection, processing, disposal, and education of post-consumer waste; develop a consensus among stakeholders; create a practical blueprint for solid waste management that will guide County of Maui policymakers into the future; comply with the State’s requirement by submitting a quality new Plan; and identify immediate improvements to current administrative and operational activities for consideration in future fiscal planning.

Joining GBB in this assignment is A-Mehr, Inc. which will look at the capacity of each of the County’s landfills and Mediation Services of Maui, Inc, a non-for-profit organization which will assist GBB in working with the County of Maui’s Solid Waste Research and Advisory Committee (SWRAC). 

The assignment for the County of Maui will produce technical memoranda on current operations and alternatives that will be reviewed by the SWRAC and incorporated into the ISWMP to be submitted to the state in 2008.

“Following careful consideration of our options, we are excited to move forward with the GBB Project Team in crafting a solid plan that will shape the solid waste management landscape of the County for the decades ahead,” said Tracy Takamine, County of Maui Public Works’ Solid Waste Division Chief. “In addition to its national experience, GBB is familiar with some of the unique issues that islands present, having previous experience with Maui and having worked with other island communities such as the Virgin Islands in the past. In short, the County of Maui wanted an Integrated Solid Waste Plan that will be practical, comparable, and usable.  GBB’s proposal and reputation met those criteria.” >>  

In a November 2006 referendum, the people of Maui amended the County Charter to separate the County of Maui’s Solid Waste Management and Waste Water Reclamation Divisions from the existing Department of Public Works and Environmental Management and create a separate Department of Environmental Management (DEM) which will handle all solid waste and diversion matters.  The County confronts several challenges in the management of solid waste and recyclables, and had a diversion rate of 30.8% in 2005, falling short of the 50% recycling rate mandated by the State of Hawai’i. One of the priorities of the new plan is to include specific actions to be taken to accomplish at least the 50% diversion goal.

“Maui is a unique place.  How many Counties in our nation are made up of three inhabited and one uninhabited islands?  The geography as well as the socio-economic situation leads to unique waste management issues,” noted Harvey Gershman, GBB President. “In order to preserve its natural assets, continue to provide world-class tourist experiences, achieve economic growth, and ensure the quality of life of the permanent residents, the County of Maui has asked GBB to help it chart a new vision for the County’s future solid waste management programs and services. The creation of the DEM, coupled with the need to present a new Plan, provide an opportunity for Maui’s solid waste programs and services to be updated though building consensus among its stakeholders on developing best practice policies and programs.”

The County of Maui encompasses the islands of Kaho`olawe, Lana`i, Moloka`i, and Maui which has been named the “Best Island in the World” for 12 consecutive years by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler publication. The County has been experiencing a population growth rate of over nine percent in the past five years.  In addition to its 140,000 residents, Maui is visited by 2.5 million tourists per year, spending over $3 billion and generating 39 percent of the County’s gross domestic product. 

GBB is a national solid waste management consulting firm founded in 1980 that works on solid waste collection, processing, recycling and disposal issues, and assists in planning, procuring, and implementing sound, cost-effective facilities and services at the local, state and national levels for both the public and private sectors. For more information on the firm and its products and services, visit www.gbbinc.com or call 1-800-573-5801.

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