City picks area northwest of Wahiawa for Oahu’s next landfill
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi presents the city’s plan to open a new landfill in Central Oahu during a news conference Tuesday.
COURTESY CITY & COUNTY OF HONOLULU
This aerial map shows the city officials’ choice for the site of Oahu’s next landfill, pending approvals.
City & County of Honolulu officials announced today that they have selected an area northwest of Wahiawa as the proposed location for Oahu’s next landfill.
The landfill siting decision was required before Dec. 31, before the closure of the 35-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in accordance with a 2019 decision and order by the state Land Use Commission. That West Oahu dump is set to close in 2028.
The proposed landfill location — identified as “Area 3, Site 2” in the city’s 2022 Landfill Advisory Committee’s recommendation report — is on agricultural land to the west of Kamehameha Highway, north of Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road.
The city confirmed that the land in question is owned by the Dole Food Co., which is not the same as Dole Plantation.
“The siting of Oahu’s next landfill is an absolutely critical decision that impacts each and every person on our island,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement. “For the good of our residents, we cannot and will not kick the can further down the road, because our residents deserve clarity.”
The proposed landfill site selected by the city — along with five other potential sites included in the committee’s recommendation report — is located over an aquifer.
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City officials said they are proposing “to design, construct and operate the facility in accordance with state and federal requirements, including the protection of Oahu’s aquifer system.”
However, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply must evaluate the proposed landfill site and, based on its proximity to potable water sources, may approve or reject the proposal.
City Council member Matt Weyer, whose District 2 encompasses Wahiawa and the North Shore, said he objected to the landfill site’s location in his district.
“I stand with the Board of Water Supply and trust their judgment,” Weyer said in a statement. “This isn’t a district specific issue, this is an islandwide concern that affects all of our families.”
He added, “The final location should include community input, and with the potential locations on the table, protecting our drinking water should be our top priority.”
