The City and County of Honolulu could decide on a new Oʻahu landfill location to replace Waimānalo Gulch, located on the west side, by mid-November.
Honolulu Department of Environmental Services Director Roger Babcock said the city is considering multiple sites. It includes ones that have been excluded in the past and other locations that would require changes to state law.
He explained that a consultant has been working on a landfill siting study.
“ That's nearly completed. We'll be done before the end of the month,” Babcock said.
“We will continue to evaluate alternative sites, meaning looking at restrictions and obstacles, locations, size, distance and proximity constraints, site characteristics, availability, costs, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic constraints and issues. So, we potentially could make an announcement and a decision prior to the next milestone that says November.”
That milestone is the next required quarterly update the city must give the Honolulu Planning Commission in November. It’s a condition set by the state Land Use Commission after it gave the city an extension to locate a new landfill site.
The new study considers land that would not comply with state restrictions. Act 73 says landfills cannot be located on conservation land and must maintain a half-mile boundary from any school, residence and hospital.
The city is looking into 10 different locations across the island that do not comply with Act 73.
Locations such as an area near Waimānalo Country Farms, an area near the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu campus, Pali Golf Course and HC&D South Quarry are on conservation land and would need the state boundary requirement to be reduced to just a quarter mile.
HC&D North Quarry, Waiāhole Forest Preserve and Farmland, an area occupied by the Hawaiʻi Youth Correctional Facility, an area near Castle Junction and Pali Highway, Royal Hawaiian Golf Club and Prince Golf Club are also being considered but are also on conservation land and would need the state boundary requirement to be removed completely.
If one of those sites is chosen, Babcock said the city will ask the state Legislature to change the law next legislative session, which starts in January.
In addition, the city will continue to consider six sites that were previously proposed by the Landfill Advisory Committee: one in Kunia, another in Waipahu, three in Waihiawā, and one location between Haleʻiwa and Waialua. The three in Waihiawā are prime agricultural land. They are also all within the Board of Water Supply's “no pass zone,” which the department warns could threaten water aquifers.
One of the decisions the city has made is to eliminate all federal lands that it was considering such as the controversial Waipiʻo Soccer Complex, which the Navy controls and would not allow the city to develop a landfill on the property.
Once the new landfill study is done, Babcock said it would be released publicly on the city's website.
Honolulu City Councilmember Andria Tupola has introduced a measure that would reconvene the Landfill Advisory Committee. However, it will ultimately be up to Mayor Rick Blangiardi to make the final decision.
“We're not prepared to name a site today, but we are very close,” Babcock said.
“Time is of the essence. We are working very hard on it. There are challenges, of course, with every site and somebody or lots of people are not going to be happy no matter what we do, but we have to do it.”
