The Kaua’i County Council held a briefing earlier this week on plans for the nearly overflowing Kekaha Landfill, announcing that no long-term solution has yet been found to dispose of the island’s trash.

“We know our capacity is limited. We are obviously feeling the pressure,” said Allison Fraley, the county’s environmental services director, during the Aug. 8 council meeting.

“We need capacity. That’s why we are working on parallel solutions to ensure that we have capacity both in the long term and in the short term,” she said.

Fraley and Troy Tanigawa, a county engineer who also works for the Department of Public Works’ solid waste division, were asked by County Council Chairman Mel Rapozo to provide an update on the landfill issue.

The progress they reported at that meeting was similar to information they shared more than seven months ago, in December 2023, at a meeting of the state Land and Natural Resources Committee.

Fraley said the current landfill, known as Phase 2, is expected to reach maximum capacity at 120 feet above sea level in June 2027. As a temporary solution, the county is currently working on the Kekaha Landfill Expansion Project to expand the landfill’s capacity vertically by 50 feet, up to 170 feet.

Given the island’s current disposal rate of 60 tons of garbage per day, or 90,000 tons of garbage per year, the expansion would extend the life of the landfill to 2030 and create an additional three years of space.

Fraley said an environmental impact assessment released in February 2024 found the expansion would have no significant impact on residents or the environment.

“We have submitted an application to the state health department, which will be approved by the department, and then we can expand upwards in 2027,” she said.

The other portion of the Kekaha Landfill that is not currently in operation consists of a 39-acre area where facilities closed in October 1993. Fraley discussed plans to construct a new landfill area over the waste from the closed landfill cell to create an additional 85 feet of capacity. Construction of this facility would require re-consolidation of the existing waste, leveling of the slope for drainage, and over-capping.

The plan requires an environmental impact assessment, building permits and health department approval, and implementation is expected to take four years, according to Fraley.

Fraley did not provide any information on how long the 85-foot extension will be able to hold trash. In December 2023, she said the cell’s capacity would depend on its construction.

The other option discussed was a new landfill.

During the meeting, Fraley said a site had been identified six miles west of the Kekaha landfill. Since the nearest resident lives nine miles away, Fraley pointed out that this complies with Hawaii Law 73, which requires landfills to be at least half a mile from residential areas.

That location has not yet been confirmed and there have been issues with site selection due to housing concerns and environmental laws. Fraley said if the proposed site is approved, it will take another year to complete conceptual design drawings, engineering analysis and the permitting process.

Other long-term solutions were also discussed.

In recent months, the Planning Department has also been working on publishing a tender for possible alternative technologies for long-term solid waste management on the island.

In December 2023, Fraley said in an email response that the RFP would likely be advertised in early 2024.

However, during the Aug. 8 meeting, Fraley told council members that the RFP had been finalized but had not yet been released. She explained that the Building Department is currently working with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure that the RFP does not result in a protest or be canceled due to conflicting terms.

“We need to make sure we take our time … to avoid future problems,” Fraley said.

Rapozo and other council members questioned the apparent lack of progress in the RFP process.

“That’s been the answer for some time,” he said in response to Fraley. “We’ve been doing that for some time. So I guess when can we expect the (RFP) to go out?”

Fraley, Tanigawa and council members also discussed alternative technologies, including burning waste through incineration.

However, Rapozo raised concerns about the high cost of waste-to-energy technologies.

“We were confronted with the painful reality of the cost of a waste-to-energy plant,” Rapozo said, noting that one operator had estimated the cost of installation at about $1.2 billion.

Other alternatives or solutions to slow the accumulation of waste in the landfill include increasing the county’s focus on composting and recycling. Councilwoman Felicia Cowden said three-quarters of the waste in the landfill is compostable.

“And I fully feel the urgency, because we must remain the garden island and not become the garbage island,” said Cowden.

In their closing remarks, Council members stressed the importance of composting and recycling and the urgent need to finally find a solution to this problem that began over 20 years ago.

“I’m normally an optimistic person, but I’m very concerned,” Rapozo said. He was also concerned that Fraley’s proposed new landfill site has not yet been approved by the DLNR, saying approval is not guaranteed. “If we don’t get the land, everything else is worthless. We’ll have to redo everything,” he said.

“I’m scared. In terms of cost, we’re talking about converting waste into energy and landfills that cost hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to build. Where do we get that from?”

At the beginning of the meeting, Rapozo explained that funds from the county budget should be allocated primarily to the landfill.

“Some of the amenities we want and have asked for will have to be put on hold,” he said.

“I am at this point because I am afraid.”