A public hearing on the city’s request for a two-year extension to find a replacement site for the 34-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei attracted both supporters and opponents.
The Honolulu Planning Commission continued soliciting public comments on the city Department of Environmental Services’ formal request to amend a previous special-use permit. The request, submitted in December, seeks to extend the deadline from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2024, in order to identify a new landfill site.
The current landfill, spanning 200 acres, is set to close by 2028.
During the hearing, various parties, including attorneys representing residential neighbors, a neighboring business, and the city, presented their arguments regarding the landfill extension.
Jeffrey Hu, a city deputy corporation counsel, stated that the extension request by the Department of Environmental Services is necessary to comply with state law, specifically Act 73.
Act 73, enacted in 2020, imposes restrictions on the placement of waste disposal facilities near conservation lands or within half-mile “buffer zones” of residential areas, schools, hospitals, airports, or tsunami zones.
Hu added that six potential landfill sites proposed for Central Oahu and the North Shore were rejected due to their location within the “no pass zone,” which covers the island’s interior where Oahu’s potable water aquifer is located.
Currently, the city is considering amending Act 73, exploring eminent domain options, and investigating federal or military-owned lands as potential locations for a new landfill on Oahu.
Schnitzer Steel Hawaii Corp., a metal recycling firm in Kapolei, expressed support for the city’s request for a two-year extension and the establishment of a new landfill.
According to Joyce Tam-Sugiyama, Schnitzer’s lawyer, the company recycles approximately 120,000 tons of end-of-life vehicles, old appliances, and other metal scrap each year. Approximately 20,000 tons of this material cannot be recycled and needs to be disposed of in a landfill. Currently, the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill is the only landfill in Hawaii that accepts this nonrecyclable waste.
Tam-Sugiyama argued that keeping a landfill on Oahu would be cost-effective for local companies like Schnitzer Steel and prevent illegal dumping on the island.
On the other hand, the Ko Olina Community Association Inc. and State Senator Maile Shimabukuro voiced their opposition to the city’s extension request.
The association raised concerns about the delay in identifying a new site, past violations at Waimanalo Gulch, and quality-of-life issues for nearby residents, such as odor, litter, traffic, and noise.
They also suggested that Environmental Services be required to provide quarterly reports to the Planning Commission on their progress in selecting a new landfill site.
Calvert Chipchase, a lawyer representing the Ko Olina association, pointed out that the current landfill is located on agricultural land, although it is not used for agricultural purposes.
Chipchase mentioned that the city obtained an exception in 1989 to operate the landfill on agricultural land. However, this exception comes with conditions to protect surrounding communities from the impact of nonagricultural use on agricultural land.
Chipchase argued that it is fair to both find a new landfill site and close down the existing one for the benefit of West Oahu communities like Ko Olina.
The commission listened to initial testimony on this matter and plans to hold more in-depth presentations, which will include witness testimony and legal exhibits, in October and November.
The Waimanalo Gulch Landfill currently receives approximately 250,000 tons of waste per year, with about 72% being ash and residue from the HPOWER plant. Once the landfill is permanently closed, post-closure care and monitoring of groundwater, stormwater, leachate, and landfill gas will be required for at least 30 years.
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