The County of Maui is set to acquire nearly 80 acres of land adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill. It will be used for long-term disposal of Lahaina fire debris and will also address the island’s future landfill needs.
The $4 million purchase is an agreement with a subsidiary of Nan, Inc., a locally owned construction company.
The acquisition includes a 49-acre parcel that was previously quarried, and 30 acres that is currently used as a quarry. The smaller parcel would be available for County use after quarry activities there are complete.
The Maui County Council still needs to approve the purchase.
“The acquisition of these properties enables us to secure a final disposal site for the wildfire debris and also provides years of additional landfill capacity, strengthening our community’s resilience,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. “We are grateful for Nan, Inc.’s willingness to offer the land at a fair price, helping us address pressing recovery needs and meet the long-term needs of our island and its people.”
The County previously pursued eminent domain on a 20-acre parcel owned by Komar Maui Properties. Those proceedings have now halted.
The county Department of Environmental Management is preparing for design and construction of the final fire debris disposal site on the new property.
Debris from Lahaina is temporarily being disposed at Olowalu. The community strongly supported a permanent site at the Central Maui Landfill. However, the island’s only major municipal solid waste landfill was already nearing capacity. The County said wildfire debris alone would consume nearly two years’ worth of available landfill space.
“This land provides us with decades of potential landfill capacity, ensuring we have the space to handle waste sustainably in the future,” DEM Director Shayne Agawa said.
In addition to landfill expansion, Agawa highlighted that the extra acreage acquired from Nan, Inc. will support environmentally conscious waste management efforts.
"With this acquisition, we can enhance recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy programs, supporting our goal to divert more waste from the landfill,” he said.
Nan, Inc. was founded in Honolulu in 1990 and specializes in preconstruction, general contracting and design-build construction in Hawaii.
“We recognized the importance of this property for Maui’s recovery efforts,” said Nan Chul Shin, owner of Nan, Inc. “We are grateful to contribute to Lahaina’s recovery and to support Maui’s future needs with this agreement, creating a positive outcome for both the community and the environment. We also appreciate our tenant’s support and cooperation in support of the County’s efforts to achieve this outcome.”
