New Landfill Site

Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Landfill Site Selection

Selection of Kauai’s Next RCRA Subtitle “D” Landfill Site

County of Kauai

August 13, 2008

The County is currently in the process of selecting a site for a new Subtitle D Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (Landfill).  Based on the limited capacity remaining in the current landfill property at Kekaha, it is anticipated that a new Landfill will be needed by January 2017.  Because of the time required (minimum 5 years) to complete complex tasks relating to the planning, construction and permitting of modern landfills and potential for unanticipated delays, it is necessary that the siting process take place and be completed within the next six to eight months.

While a technical evaluation of potential landfill sites was completed in March 2001, the County’s internal deliberations and also input from external sources have indicated a need for additional public participation in the selection of a site for the new Landfill.  As a result, several months ago, Mayor Baptiste selected a community based advisory committee composed of individuals that represent various geographic areas of Kaua‘i to serve as a representative sampling of island-wide community interests. The advisory committee was named, “The Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Landfill Site Selection” (MACLS).  The County hired a consultant, RM Towill, to facilitate the MACLS with the objective to identify and recommend a site for Kauai’s next Landfill.

To fulfill this objective, the County and its consultants have commenced a process that will:

·       Educate and inform the MACLS about the siting process, and allow for deliberation, ranking and selection of a recommended landfill site or sites.

·       Provide the Committee with information on the requirements for the establishment of a new Landfill including EPA; Department of Health, State of Hawai‘i; and Department of Public Works, County of Kaua‘i, requirements.

·       Document the deliberations and actions of the MACLS.

·       Compile the information in a Final Report of the MACLS.

The byproduct of this process will be the Final Report from the MACLS that provides a ranking of potential sites considered and a recommended site for the new landfill.  The County’s Executive Branch (Mayor’s Administration) will utilize the MACLS’s report to prepare a recommendation to the County’s Legislative Branch (County Council), a site for the new Landfill.

In order to provide for transparency of the process and share technical information and deliberations of the committee with the General Pubic, Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, and technical documents considered by the MACLS are posted on the internet.  Questions or comments about the landfill site selection process, may be directed to Troy Tanigawa of the Division of Solid Waste Management at 241-4838.