Panel to vote on landfill permit
If the extension request is denied, city officials say they will seek help from Lingle
After years of demands by community members for the closing of Waimanalo Gulch Landfill, the city Planning Commission will vote Wednesday whether to support the city administration's request to keep the Waianae Coast dump open for another two years.
If the Planning Commission, a nine-member independent panel appointed by the mayor, rejects the city's application for a permit extension for the island's only landfill, city officials said they would have to scramble for a solution to the trash crunch -- including asking for help from the governor.
If approved, the application goes to the state Land Use Commission, which some landfill opponents say could be an even tougher fight for the city.
After a series of hearings in a contested case with Ko Olina Community Association -- and challenges to the city by Senate President Colleen Hanabusa -- the Planning Commission will make its decision at a meeting noon Wednesday at Mission Memorial Auditorium, next to Honolulu Hale.
"I'm not quite sure how the Planning Commission is going to rule on it," said Hanabusa, who represents the area and lives in Ko Olina.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann has pushed for the permit extension, saying keeping Waimanalo Gulch open is the cheapest option for the city and that there is not enough time for the permitting and approval of another site. The city has said if the permit extension is not granted, officials would ask Gov. Linda Lingle to grant a state of emergency to keep the landfill open.
"I think at that point the city is going to have to admit that they can't do their basic function," Hanabusa said. "This administration has always said they're going to do the nuts and bolts of city government, and there is nothing more nuts and bolts than rubbish."
The landfill issue has also divided Leeward Coast residents. The city has suggested using state-owned land known as Nanakuli PVT as the island's landfill over the objection of some Nanakuli residents.
"It's right next to homes," said Nanakuli resident Eli Kapu, referring to the Nanakuli landfill. "We need to leave Waimanalo Gulch Landfill open until the city comes up with a solution."
The city is seeking a contractor to build a waste-to-energy facility and will likely put out bid requests later this month to find companies willing to ship trash.
However, reaching an agreement would take months and depend largely on the cost of shipping trash, according to Eric Takamura, the city's Environmental Services director. That still would not eliminate the need for a landfill, he added.
But Councilman Todd Apo, who represents the area and works for Ko Olina Resort & Marina, said the city administration shows a "clear hesitancy" when it comes to shipping trash.
"Nothing is getting solved for our solid-waste issues," Apo said. "If their permit is approved, I hope the Planning Commission puts the proper pressures on the city to make sure something gets done to solve this problem."
Hanabusa said the most disconcerting part of the permitting process is the amount of time allowed to pass, giving the city better odds for an approval with less than four months before the permit expires on May 1.
"Why did they wait so long?" Hanabusa said. "That makes it almost impossible."
