Vog – Hilo term for volcano-induced fog. Vlog – CCLR term for Hilo-induced blog.
 
The vog-shrouded Hilo town is an apt visualization of the challenges in reconciling economic development with local culture, values and history, and the concealed ways brownfields redevelopment can meld some seemingly incompatible goals against monumental challenges.
 
The November 2nd Brownfields workshop brought together stakeholders from government, nonprofits and the environmental sector to explore how to meet goals – both divergent and convergent – to reuse sites that are economically and environmentally challenged. With Mayor Harry Kim providing a stirring backdrop of the challenge of protecting sacred lands atop Mona Kea in the face of economic and scientific pressures, similar challenges face newly-minted brownfields practitioners in applying haole rules on Aina in a rapidly changing economy and growth predictions.
 
Hawaii County is a very rural county with two urban centers – amid vast open space that were once plantations, volcanic landforms and tropical rain forests. Brownfields are found mostly along the coast and arterials. Growth projections of up to 52% by 2040 threaten the idyllic setting. The consensus was that sustainable growth planning, including brownfields redevelopment, would help prevent further sprawl.
 
With the guidance of Hawaii Department of Health, Health Evaluation and Emergency Response Office (DoH-HEER),and assistance from CCLR, local planning, housing and environmental agencies, and nonprofits, hope to develop a program to promote brownfields redevelopment in several ways – developing inventories, identifying sustainable uses on targeted sites, and creating partnerships.
 
This is the first of many steps. The Hilo stakeholders will work over the next year to develop their program. DoH-HEER and CCLR will also assist other island-counties to emerge from their own brownfield vogs, and redevelop in their own appropriate manner.

View the agenda here 

Click the speakers last name to view their presentation.

Welcome Remarks 

• Harry Kim | Mayor Deputy of Hawai'i
• Keith Kawaoka | Deputy Director | Environmental Health | Department of Health

Overview of State Environmental Management

• Fenix Grange | Program Manager | HEER Office

Brownfields Grant Panel Discussion

• Ignacio Dayrit | Program Director | Center for Creative Land Recycling
• Melody Calisay | Brownfields Coordinator | Hawaii Department of Health

Brownfield Land Reuse Sucess Stories 

• Melody Calisay | Brownfields Coordinator | Hawaii Department of Health

Hawai'i Community Development Corporation - Kohala Pesticide Mixing Site Cleanup

• Brian Nishimura |  Planning Consultant | HCIDC
• Jeremy McComber | Development Manager | HCIDC

Hawai'i County Environmental Contamination: Common Sources, Assessment, and Cleanup Options

John Peard | Hilo Office Project Manager

Roger Brewer | HEER Office Risk Assessor

Hawai'i County Coordination on Potential Brownfields Redevelopment Sites

• William Kucharski | Direcotr | Department of Environmental Management
• Michael Yee | County Planning Director

Explore event pictures on our facebook page!

CCLR's work is funded by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program, and from contributions from foundations and supporters.