Landfill Cell 3 Vertical Expansion

Overview

Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Proposed Cell 3 Vertical Expansion

The County of Kaua‘i, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division (County) proposes to develop Cell 3 to gain additional airspace capacity at the Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (Kekaha Landfill) located in Kekaha, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i (Proposed Action/Project).

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 impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the Proposed Action.  

Background

A key component of the County’s solid waste management system is source reduction and recycling . The County currently diverts over 40 percent of the waste generated on island. However, there is a continued need for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal on Kauai. The possibility of shipping MSW off-island to other counties or to the continental U.S. is not practicable due to legal and financial considerations.

The Kekaha Landfill is the island’s only permitted landfill and is projected to reach capacity in 2030 based on current disposal rates. The closure of the Kekaha Landfill upon the exhaustion of landfill space without an alternative means of on-island disposal of MSW is not practicable and could lead to public safety and environmental impacts from unauthorized dumping.   

The County is currently working on the planning and permitting for a new landfill at Ma‘alo ; however, permitting, design, and construction of a new landfill site is anticipated to require approximately 10 years (possibly longer).  Given this timeline will exceed the timeline of anticipated remaining capacity at the current Kekaha Landfill capacity, there is a need to provide an interim solution for safe MSW disposal capacity in Kauaʻi County before the new landfill is brought on-line.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to prolong the life of the Kekaha Landfill prior to exhausting airspace at the island’s only permitted landfill. It will provide safe disposal capacity of MSW in Kauaʻi County while a new landfill can be sited, permitted, designed, and constructed elsewhere in the county.

Project Site

The Kekaha Landfill presently serves as Kaua‘i’s sole landfill facility for the disposal of MSW. Kekaha Landfill is approximately 1.3 miles northwest of the town of Kekaha in the southwest part of Kaua‘i and is within the Waimea Ahupua‘a and Kona Moku (district).  

Kekaha Landfill was established in 1953 and has been in continuous operation through sequential operational phases and expansion cells. The facility’s currently permitted limit-of-waste footprint (i.e., landfill area) is 74 acres and is comprised of two refuse fill areas:

• Phase I : Phase I accepted waste from 1953 to October 1993 and has a peak elevation of 50 feet (ft) above mean sea level (amsl). Phase I predates the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D (40 Code of Federal Regulations Section 258). Therefore, there is no liner system beneath the Phase I refuse as there was no requirement for one at the time it was constructed and began operation.
• Phase II : Phase II is an active, lined area of the landfill that began accepting waste on October 9, 1993. Since commencing operations, Phase II was expanded horizontally into Cells 1 and 2 and vertically to its current permitted maximum elevation of 120 ft amsl. The County is pursuing another vertical expansion of the Phase II area to a maximum elevation of 171.5 ft amsl with an anticipated permit approval in 2026. The vertical expansion to 171.5 ft amsl is anticipated to provide Kekaha Landfill with waste disposal capacity through 2030.

Proposed Cell 3 Vertical Expansion

In recognition that Kekaha Landfill is anticipated to reach capacity by 2030, and that it will take approximately 10 years to permit, design, and construct a new landfill, the County is proposing the Cell 3 expansion to meet the near-term waste disposal requirements for the Island of Kauaʻi. Cell 3 would provide additional airspace through a vertical expansion over the footprint of the Phase I and Phase II areas. No lateral expansion outside the existing 74-acre waste disposal limits would occur. An overliner system would be constructed above the pre-Subtitle D, Phase I disposal area to collect and recover leachate from future waste placed in the Cell 3 landfill area. The expanded landfill disposal areas above Phase I and Phase II would be connected to the existing leachate, landfill gas, and stormwater management systems.

The Proposed Action would consist of the following:

• Phase I Waste Reshaping- To achieve the necessary grades for the installation of the Phase I overliner system, approximately 253,000 cubic yards of waste would need to be relocated within the Phase I area. The majority of the waste would be reburied within the landfill; however, some waste (e.g., hazardous waste, recyclable metals) may be excavated and transported for off-site disposal.
• Installation of Phase I Overliner and Leachate Collection and Removal System – Installation of an impermeable overliner and leachate collection and removal system within the Phase I area to prevent leachate from Cell 3 from impacting groundwater. The Phase I overliner is a composite liner system predominantly used in modern landfills and is ideal for leachate containment.
• Phased Cell 3 Vertical Expansion – Extend the maximum height of the landfill to 85 ft amsl in Phase I and 188 ft amsl in Phase II. Cell 3 would cover approximately 40 acres over the existing landfill area.
• Tsunami Mitigation Armoring – In anticipation of upcoming changes to Hawaii’s Solid Waste Rules (HAR 11-58.1), the Project will include installation of rip-rap or other armoring material around the perimeter of the landfill waste footprint to dissipate wave energy in the event of a tsunami.

Based on current waste disposal rates, the Cell 3 expansion is anticipated to provide approximately 10 additional years of capacity.

If a new MSW landfill facility becomes operational during the Cell 3 operating period, the County would coordinate with HDOH to close Cell 3 and the Kekaha Landfill as soon as practicable, while ensuring continued compliance with all operational, environmental, and public service requirements.

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Cell 3 Vertical Expansion Implementation Timeline

Environmental Review Process

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 impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the Cell 3 Vertical Expansion.

Consultation and Scoping for EIS

The Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) for the Kekaha Landfill Cell 3 Vertical Expansion Project is published in the June 8, 2026 edition of The Environmental Notice. The document is accessible through the link below:

Cell 3 Vertical Expansion Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice

Publication of the EISPN in The Environmental Notice starts a 30-day public review and comment period, within which agencies, groups, and individuals have an opportunity to provide written comments on the Project and the scope of the EIS. Information collected during the scoping process will be incorporated into the Draft EIS.

Comments must be sent/postmarked on or before July 8, 2026 (end of 30-day comment period). All comments received are a part of the public record. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Transmission of comments may be via email, U.S. Postal Service mail, or through the Project website (www.kauai.gov/Cell-3Expansion). Please submit written comments to the parties listed below.

• County of Kauaʻi Solid Waste Division, Attn: Allison Fraley, 4444 Rice Street, Moʻikeha Building, Suite 275, Līhuʻe, HI, 96766, AFraley@kauai.gov
• Tetra Tech, Attn: Kayla Yost, 737 Bishop Street, Suite 2000, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813, kayla.yost@tetratech.com

In accordance with HAR Chapter 11-200.1-23, a public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 during the 30-day EISPN comment period. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the scoping meeting to provide oral and written comments on the Project and the scope of the EIS. The public scoping meeting information is as follows:

If you would like to receive updates on the environmental review process or want to be consulted as part of the project’s Cultural Impact Assessment, please provide your name and email to Kayla Yost at kayla.yost@tetratech.com. 

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Frequently Asked Questions