A committee tasked with recommending the site of Oʻahu’s next landfill is holding its first meeting next week.
In 2019, the state Land Use Commission gave the City and County of Honolulu until March 2028 to close the Waimanalo Gulch landfill in Leeward Oʻahu.
It then gave the city until the end of 2022 to select the site of the island’s next landfill.
The city’s Landfill Advisory Committee will discuss and recommend potential sites to Mayor Rick Blangiardi.
Michael O’Keefe, the deputy director of the city’s Department of Environmental Services, said public participation is strongly encouraged. The meetings will be virtual and open to the public.
"The meetings are going to consist of not just where they’re actually going to be evaluating and scoring the sites, but at least the first couple of meetings, they’re going to start off by educating about solid waste management on Oʻahu, and the history of the landfill, the history of Waimanalo Gulch," O'Keefe said. "They’re going to learn about the Land Use Commission, on decision and order. Then all that’s going to provide them the foundation upon which they’ll start their evaluation and ranking."
The committee’s first meeting will be held virtually on Oct. 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. More information can be found at honolulu.gov/opala.
