Dear SAME Honolulu Post Members,
Our next lunch meeting will be held on 18 June 2025 at Hale Ikena.
Registration link: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/june-luncheon
Topic
New City and County of Honolulu Landfill
Presenter:
Roger Babcock, Jr. Ph.D, P.E.
Director, City Department of Environmental Services
Presentation Synopsis:
The City & County of Honolulu depends on the H-POWER Waste-to Energy Plant to process all trash generated on Oahu. H-POWER’s operating permit requires that the plant be operated in conjunction with a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. Approximately 75% of the landfilled material is ash from the plant, with the landfill also accepting special wastes such as auto shredder residue and asbestos waste, as well as trash during H-POWER maintenance outages. The landfill also must be prepared to accept disaster debris following a future hurricane as well as construction/demolition waste after the closure of the PVT landfill in Nānākuli. Oahu’s only MSW landfill, Waimānalo Gulch, located in Kapolei, opened in 1989, and is scheduled to close in 2028. In December, the City announced that Oahu’s new municipal landfill would be located on 150 acres of land belonging to Dole Food Co. outside of Wahiawa. However, the 2025 Hawaii legislature passed HB969 which bans the City’s chosen site and 85% of the land area on Oahu, leaving only the coastal fringe of the island available for a new landfill. Next steps will be discussed.