Oahu is considering shipping garbage off-island amid landfill concerns

On October 24, 2024By Yukito

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Oahu’s waste may soon be shipped off the island as the county resumes plans to export trash.

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This proposal, first considered more than a decade ago, is being re-examined by the Department of Environmental Services.

Officials are exploring the possibility of transporting 75,000 tons of trash and 225,000 tons of ash from the H-POWER facility each year for up to ten years if a new landfill is not ready in time.

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Roger Babcock, head of the Department of Environmental Services, said: “It is very unlikely that we will be able to open the landfill within four years. No one has ever done anything like this before.” He added: “It’s not like we don’t send waste now. All recycled material is sent to the mainland and hazardous waste is also transported off the island.”

West Oahu’s current landfill is scheduled to cease operations by March 2028, but the city has not yet secured a site for a new one.

The city issued a request for information regarding garbage transportation. Responses must be received by December 2.

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Cost estimates for the shipping plan remain uncertain because they will depend on whether, in addition to transportation costs, disposal costs at the destination are lower than on the island.

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