Kekaha Landfill Expansion

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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:

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 : A closed municipal solid waste (MSW) unlined landfill that ceased operations in 1993. No changes to Phase I are proposed.
  • Phase II :  An active MSW-lined 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.

Proposed project location map for vertical expansion of Kekaha landfill.


Consultation and Scoping for Environmental Assessment

  • Interested parties are invited to provide input to the environmental assessment process, including concerns related to particular environmental resources and relevant information that should be considered in the evaluation.
  • Please provide comments to Kayla Yost at Tetra Tech (737 Bishop Street, Suite 2000, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813; Tel: (808) 441-6600; Fax (808) 536-3953) or kayla.yost@tetratech.com.
  • Comments must be postmarked by March 29, 2023 to be considered in the Draft EA.

If you would like to receive an electronic copy of the Draft EA upon publication (anticipated Q2 2023), please provide your name and email to Kayla Yost at kayla.yost@tetratech.com.