Finance and Economic Development Committee Meeting on EV Battery Disposal - February 11, 2026

The Finance and Economic Development Committee met on February 11, 2026 to receive a briefing from the county engineer and environmental services manager on the inability to remove abandoned and derelict electric vehicles (EVs) on Kauai due to lithium-ion battery fire and toxicity risks. The meeting highlighted the lack of any in-state disposal or recycling capacity, the dangers of thermal runaway, and frustration with the state's slow timeline—a working group report is not due until December 2026, with legislation not expected before mid-2027. The committee discussed interim options, potential county-led solutions, and questions for the county attorney regarding legal authority to regulate EV imports and hold last registered owners or manufacturers responsible.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the January 14, 2026 Finance and Economic Development Committee meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Drew Coeck (teacher, Hawaii Technology Academy): Expressed appreciation for the public process and urged the committee to consider the broader issue of disposing of all imported goods, not just EVs. He asked about the county's master plan for waste as electrification increases.
• Brody Lee (student, Hawaii Technology Academy): Proposed creating a specialized county sub-department to safely extract and disassemble EV batteries on island, potentially diluting lithium to reduce reactivity. He acknowledged logistical complications.
• Steve Parsons (Kauai green committees): Challenged what he called "misinformation" in the room. He stated that Pasha has no restrictions on shipping EVs, that EV batteries are becoming nearly 100% recyclable, and that EV fires are far less common than gas-vehicle fires. He shared that he has defective 80-pound solar batteries sitting in his garage with no recycling option and urged the county to make recycling easy to prevent a black market.
• Bruce Hart: Argued that manufacturers knew about the disposal problem from the start and focused on profit, leaving communities to handle the mess. He called for a moratorium on new EV imports until a safe disposal system is in place and urged all levels of government to stop "blame game" and work together.

Discussion Items

• Council Chair Raposo introduced the item, noting that the county was not invited to participate in the state's EV battery recycling working group and that the timeline (report due December 2026, legislation mid-2027) is unacceptable given the urgent safety risks.
• County Engineer Troy Tanegawa presented a slideshow on the current situation: end-of-life EVs contain lithium-ion batteries that can enter thermal runaway (spontaneous, self-accelerating fire reaching up to 800°F) when damaged. Abandoned EVs are even more dangerous due to vandalism. Kauai has no permitted processor for damaged/defective/recalled (DDR) EV batteries. The county's only recycler, Puhi Metals (operated by Resource Recovery Solutions), stopped accepting EVs in August 2025 after determining they lacked the required permit and protocols. The state working group has met four times in 2025 and plans four more meetings in 2026, with a report due December 2026.
• Fire Department representative Abe described the extreme hazards: hydrogen fluoride gas can leach calcium from bones, a single vehicle fire requires 30-40,000 gallons of water and 7-8 hours to extinguish, and shipping damaged batteries is extremely risky—200 pounds of batteries can blow the doors off a 40-foot container and sink a cargo ship. The "Maui method" (saltwater brine, shredding, special packaging) was used for the Lahaina emergency but is costly and not a long-term solution. He noted that lithium-ion batteries in power tools, e-bikes, and home storage units pose similar risks.
• Councilmember Holland (sponsor) expressed frustration that the state would leave an abandoned EV at Bellstone (a state park) for months, and asked whether the county could stop EV imports, mandate dealer take-back, create a temporary holding facility, impose disposal fees, or hold the last registered owner liable. She said the battery from that Prius may already have been stolen, compounding the risk.
• Councilmember Bulasan asked about the weight and composition of EV batteries. Abe replied an average car contains 6,000-8,000 individual cells (size of a thumb) weighing a total of 1,000-1,600 pounds, and that removing the battery from the car increases risk of damage.
• Councilmember Cowden questioned whether, if the battery is removed, the car shell could be scrapped. Chair Raposo noted the answer depends on verifying the battery type.
• County Attorney Tyler was asked to research legal options: (1) authority to stop EV imports until disposal is available; (2) requiring dealers to take back batteries; (3) creating a county temporary holding facility; (4) holding last registered owners responsible (bypassing the "notice of transfer" loophole); (5) implementing a disposal fee on EV sales.
• Councilmember Kagawa urged a collective state-county effort and said the issue must be addressed sooner than mid-2027.
• Councilmember Cooley emphasized that Puhi Metals is the county's sole contracted recycler, and the county should accelerate their permitting process and require interim solutions.
• Councilmember Carvalho agreed that waiting for the state is futile, supported manufacturer responsibility, and noted that lithium batteries in vapes, computers, and other devices are also a growing problem.
• Councilmember Calder expressed concern about the fire risk to firefighters and the community. He called for Pasha to be required to ship back any EV they bring to Kauai, and warned that leaving cars to decay makes them more dangerous.
• Councilmember Kipu supported the urgency, stating that every day without a solution increases risk.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received the briefing (motion carried by voice vote).
• Chair Raposo directed the county attorney to research the legal questions raised and report back.
• Chair Raposo stated he would follow up with the police department to enforce the abandoned vehicle law at Bellstone (on state property) and pursue the last registered owner.
• The chair asked the Department of Public Works to explore innovative interim solutions, including certifying a cadre of employees to safely remove batteries and designating a secure, remote county storage lot for batteries.