Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Phase II Vertical Expansion

Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Phase II Vertical Expansion

The County of Kaua`i, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division (County) is proposing a vertical expansion of Phase II of the Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (Kekaha Landfill) located in Kekaha on the west side of Kauaʻi (Proposed Action). Pursuant to the requirements of Hawai’i Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343 and Hawai‘i Administrative Rules (HAR) §11-200.1, the County is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the Proposed Action.

Document:

• Draft Environmental Assessment

Project Site

The Kekaha Landfill encompasses approximately 98 acres of land within Tax Map Keys (TMK) 1-2-002:001 (por) and 1-2-002:009. The Kekaha Landfill is comprised of two distinct refuse fill areas:

• Phase I : An unlined municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill stopped accepting solid waste in 1993. No changes to Phase I are proposed.
• Phase II :  An active lined MSW landfill that began accepting solid waste in 1993.  Currently, the maximum permitted elevation of Phase II is 120 feet above mean sea level (msl). Phase II is projected to reach capacity in October 2026. 

Proposed Action

• The Kekaha Landfill is Kauai’s only permitted landfill and is projected to reach capacity within the next 5 years. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to prolong the life of the landfill facility while the County identifies other long-term waste solutions.
• The County proposes to extend the Phase II landfill height vertically to a maximum permitted elevation of 171.5 feet above msl.
• The County understands there is a critical need to identify a long-term MSW capacity solution for the Island of Kaua`i and is currently exploring alternatives.

Draft Environmental Assessment

The Draft EA for the Kekaha Municipal Landfill Phase II Vertical Expansion Project was published in the August 8, 2023 edition of The Environmental Notice. The document can be accessed via the link provided above.

The County accepted comments on the Draft EA from August 8, 2023 to September 7, 2023. Comments received during the required 30-day public review period will be incorporated into a Final EA (anticipated Q4 2023).

If you have any questions about the Proposed Action or would like to receive written notice when the Final EA is published in The Environmental Notice, please contact Allison Fraley, County of Kauaʻi, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division at AFraley@kauai.gov or Kayla Yost, Tetra Tech at kayla.yost@tetratech.com.