March 1960

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May 1960

Calendar of Events Voters Service New Officers and Portfolio Chairmen Grace Smith to Convention President's Report (Opal Sloane) Finance Committee Report (Alison MacBride) Local Agenda Committee Report 1959-1960 Jail - Continuing Repsonsibility II (Blanch W. Smith) Water Resources Committee Report (Dorothy Randall) Publications (Helen Frederick) Committee for National Agenda Item 1, April 1959-March 1960 (Mildred Saunders)

Local Agenda Committee Report 1959-1960 Local Agenda Item: "A Study of Waste Disposal and Other Factors Contributing To Air and Water Pollution in the City and County of Honolulu and to Take Action to Promote Effective Control of Such Pollution." At the Annual League of Women Voters meeting in April 1959, Mr B J McMarrow, Sanitary Engineer of the State Department of Health introduced the League members to our local problem of Air and Water Pollution. While trying to obtain study material on our agenda item from the mainland, committee members obtained a great deal of information on specific local problems in this area by interviewing a number of persons in our government. The Committee consulted the following people: Mr L H Hart, Director of Dept of Refuse, City and County of Honolulu Mr B J McMarrow, Director of Sanitation, Dept of Health, State of Hawaii Mr Robert Nekomoto, Air Pollution, Dept of Health, State of Hawaii Mr Francis ;Coo, Industrial Hygiene, Dept of Health, State of Hawaii Mr Archie Ericksson, Oahu Prison, State Dept of Institutions (Mr Ericksson has made compost out of garbage for eight years) At this point, we had a unit meeting on this item. We had found that there is adequate legislation to deal with the problems of air pollution with the possible exception of legislation controlling automobile exhaust fumes. The State Department of Health with whom responsibility for air and water control rests is working in cooperation with a citizen's and government agencies' association in their control work. So far, the State Dept of Health still lacks funds and authorization to set up an adequate staff to carry out its air pollution control program. Other people the committee heard and consulted were: Dr John R Snell, Sanitary Engineer on Composting Mr. Erick Reppun, Land Commissioner of State of Hawaii Mr H W Butzine, Harbor Commissioner of the State of Hawaii Mr I. Bush, Senior Planner of the State Planning Office Dr Donald Sherman, Professor of Soils, University of Hawaii The Committee members learned from Dr Snell and Dr Sherman about producing compost from city refuse and possible value of the product in agriculture in Hawaii. The other people were consulted regarding possible sites for sanitary land fill of refuse. The Committee members were amazed at the fact that so many departments become involved if a problem develops in one department. In this case, the Department of Refuse seems to be unable to solve its problem of disposal efficiently. The Committee members became interested to find what might be a good solution for this problem if seen objectively. Therefore, the Committee recommended that next year's local agenda item allow for study and action on refuse and sewage disposal and car exhaust controls. Another unit meeting in March 1960 will bring League of ,!omen Voters members up to date on this local agenda item. Liesel Phillip, Chairman Helen Fine, Ruth Myers, Peggy Gressitt, Lillian Fortess

March 1960

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May 1960