A few days ago, the city dedicated a new egg-shaped biosolids digester at Sand Island. The ceremony was the first news I've heard on this project since owner Synagro Technologies began construction more than two years ago.

I was disappointed that the city paid about $40 million, as reported, for the digester, rather than the original $34 million price, and that it took this long to complete the project. Besides public health and safety concerns, other issues remain unresolved, notably the pungent smell and marketability of the fertilized pellets.

In 2003, the City Council began deliberations on a resolution to grant a Special Management Area Use Permit for Synagro to construct and operate the digester at the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. That year we were informed of a large explosion at a Synagro-owned facility in the Bronx that sent an unpleasant wave of burnt fecal odor into surrounding communities and forced the closure of several city blocks. Since I last looked into this facility, I learned that it suffered at least four fires since March 2003.

During the public hearings, Synagro assured the community that its state-of-the-art facility at Sand Island would ensure public health and safety, and that there would be no smell. But there are lingering concerns.

In June 2007, a fire shut down the digester for several months, despite assurances from Synagro that it was equipped with safety measures to prevent the types of problems its Bronx facility was experiencing.

It's particularly disturbing that Synagro put in extra safety checks only after the fire occurred. These measures should have been installed before the digester was operational for the sake of the public's health and safety. Unfortunately, the council was not notified of the fire.

There are more public health concerns. Because David Lewis, a former EPA scientist and microbiologist, said the process of creating Class A pellets does not necessarily kill the toughest pathogens, Synagro agreed to allow an independent researcher from the University of Hawai'i to test the pellets for pathogens. After conducting the tests, Roger Fujioka concluded in 2004 that he could not determine whether public health would be substantially affected by the land application of the biosolids pellets. There were further concerns of pathogen re-growth, particularly when the pellets were mixed with soil and allowed to germinate since the pellets should not be fully "cooked" but retain at least some nutrients to be effective as fertilizer.

A distinct odor is quite noticeable at the plant, despite Synagro's promise during public hearings that there would be no smell. At the dedication ceremony, The Advertiser reported that city officials and others braved "the pungent air outside the bioconversion facility."

Odor was a concern for the community. Former state senator Anthony Chang testified that depending on weather conditions, the winds could bring the smell from Sand Island to Chinatown and Aloha Tower. This concern was echoed by the Sand Island Business Association, the Kalihi-Palama Community Council and other groups.

There are also concerns about the pellets produced. Synagro officials told the City Council that sales of their pellets would offset some of the costs associated with the project. The contract called for the city to receive up to 2,000 tons out of the total 6,000 tons of pellets produced each year for city parks and playgrounds. The city would also be entitled to 60 percent of the net revenue collected over a base rate of $20 per ton.

Currently, the fertilized pellets are being taken straight to the landfill. I reminded my colleagues on the City Council that my own independent research showed the city of Toronto could not sell or even give away its Class A fertilizer. In fact, Toronto ended up paying $13.35 per ton for the product to be hauled away.

Locally, these pellets would be a tough sell, especially among organic farmers who testified that they would not use the pellets. And, the cost to ship these pellets would add to the overall cost and make it less attractive to out-of-state markets.

I commend the city administration for taking steps to ensure public health and safety and to see that other concerns are addressed before allowing the fertilized pellets to be used at city parks and golf courses. And more stringent oversight is needed at this facility for the sake of public safety and to protect the city from future liability.

The state Department of Health must carefully review Synagro's marketing plan to ensure that the fertilized pellets won't compromise public health.

Last, Synagro should work more closely with the community on mitigation measures should problems occur. To address on-going concerns, regular meetings and updates should be held among all affected parties.

By doing so, hopefully this project can avoid turning into another white elephant for the city.

Romy Cachola is a Honolulu City Council member representing District 7. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.