Project Description:

The Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill is owned by the City and County of Honolulu and is operated by Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. The landfill occupies a total area of approximately 200 acres, of which 86.5 acres have been in use. The landfill required expansion from 86.5 acres to 147 acres to meet Oahu’s future refuse disposal needs.

RMTC completed a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed landfill expansion and supported preparation of the State Special Use Permit Application and State Land Use District Boundary Amendment Application. Other planning development efforts were coordinated and developed for the completion of this project.

RMTC was commissioned as consultant to the Department of Environmental Services to oversee the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Landfill Site Selection Committee. The Committee was convened in 2003 and for a period of several months undertook the challenge of selecting O‘ahu’s next landfill site. RMTC assisted the Committee with the following tasks:

• conducted and managed Committee meetings;
• provided the facilitator for all Committee meetings;
• explained the technical and environmental requirements for landfill siting;
• briefed the Committee on EPA Subtitle D landfill regulations;
• provided information on alternative landfill sites; and
• assisted the City’s Department of Environmental Services to ensure that the Committee would provide its final recommendation to the Mayor and City Council on time.