Sand, soil, rocks, lumber, asphalt, concrete, gravel, tires and rebar — some of it belonging to the city — have piled up on city-leased land in Waipahu in a case of unauthorized storage, Mayor Peter Carlisle said Monday.
The city has begun looking into the problem, Carlisle said.
"We’re investigating where these materials came from and have determined that some did come from city projects," he said.
There are clues about where some of the items came from, but that is still being analyzed, he said. Piles of sand and blocks have already been identified as belonging to the city.
"There are things here that shouldn’t be here," he said.
Carlisle held a news briefing at the site near the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
The materials, he said, were discovered in September by a longtime city employee who notified officials after he noticed a truck traveling to the 7- to 10-acre parcel, part of 233 acres the city leases from the Navy.
Broken playground equipment, scrap metal, refrigerators, washing machines and stoves were also at the site, which used to be covered with kiawe, brush and native grass.
"It was a natural area and it was reduced to this," said Carlisle.
The playground equipment and appliances have since been removed and the area fenced off.
It is believed the area was used for about six years. The Department of Parks and Recreation oversees the property.
The city will work with the state Department of Health to develop a plan to assess all materials before the site is cleared, Carlisle said.
The city consulted with an environmental firm and engineers to sample and analyze the materials to determine whether any posed a hazard to the soccer complex. Carlisle said there is no evidence that the materials have any effect on the recreation fields.
Hawaii News Now video: Investigation into unauthorized storage on land leased by city
