| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, the permit for the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei on Oahu expires in 2028; and WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu (City) has not identified any sites for a new landfill that the Honolulu Board of Water Supply finds acceptable because the sites identified are located above aquifers and therefore development of a new landfill there has the potential to contaminate ground water; and WHEREAS, the City claims that the legally available and feasible options for a new landfill are located above aquifers and lands with soils classified by the Land Study Bureau's detailed land classification as overall (master) productivity rating class A or B; and WHEREAS, the United States Department of Defense holds that federal lands controlled by the military are not available for landfill use under federal rules; and WHEREAS, if no new landfill site is identified, the City will be forced to pursue a legally prohibited expansion of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill; and WHEREAS, a new landfill on Oahu is inherently problematic and is not necessarily the best way that communities in the State can reduce and handle the solid waste produced by their linear extract, package, and throw-away economy; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Governor, or the Governor's designee, is requested to convene a Solid Waste Management Working Group; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Solid Waste Management Working Group is requested to comprise the following: (1) A representative from the Department of Health; (2) A representative from the Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu; (3) A representative from each county, as designated by the mayor of that county; (4) A representative from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply; (5) A representative from the recycling industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (6) A representative from the composting industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (7) A representative from the reuse industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (8) A representative from the deconstruction industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (9) A representative from Zero Waste USA, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (10) A representative from a Hawaii-based environmental nonprofit organization advocating for zero waste priorities, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (11) A landfill expert with specialization in landfill liner leakage, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; (12) An expert in unit-based pricing, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; and (13) A representative from the United States Armed Forces, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor, or the Governor's designee, is requested to convene the initial meeting for the Solid Waste Management Working Group; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Solid Waste Management Working Group is requested to elect a chair from among its members at the initial meeting of the working group, who is in turn requested to convene subsequent meetings for the working group; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Solid Waste Management Working Group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report is requested to include: (1) Information on materials management policies and programs that reduce solid waste and protect the environment, which includes the groundwater, earth, and air; and (2) A list of alternative technologies to address solid waste management of waste that cannot typically be recycled or composted; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, who is in turn requested to transmit a copy to each stakeholder invited to participate in the Solid Waste Management Working Group; Director of Health; Mayor of each county; and Manager and Chief Engineer of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Report Title: Governor; DOH; Solid Waste Management; Working Group; Report |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, the permit for the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Nanakuli on Oahu expires in 2028; and WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu (City) has not identified any sites for a new landfill that the Honolulu Board of Water Supply finds acceptable because the sites identified are located above aquifers and therefore have the potential to contaminate ground water; and WHEREAS, the City claims that the only legally available and feasible options for a new landfill are located above aquifers and lands with soils classified by the Land Study Bureau's detailed land classification as overall (master) productivity rating class A or B; and WHEREAS, the United States Department of Defense holds that federal lands controlled by the military are not available for landfill use under federal rules; and WHEREAS, if no new landfill site is identified, the City will be forced to pursue a legally prohibited expansion of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill; and WHEREAS, a new landfill on Oahu is inherently problematic and is not necessarily the only way that a community can dispose of the solid waste it produces; and WHEREAS, H-Power, the State's only waste-to-energy plant, is also unpopular and relies on a landfill to dispose of its toxic residues; and WHEREAS, different waste management technologies such as plasma arc gasification and pyrolysis need to be examined as potential solutions to Hawaii's landfill problem; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is requested to establish a Solid Waste Management Working Group; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Solid Waste Management Working Group is requested to comprise representatives from: (1) The Department of Health; (2) The Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu; (3) Each county, as designated by the mayor of that county; (4) The Honolulu Board of Water Supply; (5) The recycling industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; and (6) The composting industry, who is requested to be invited by the Governor; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Solid Waste Management Working Group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report is requested to include information on solid waste management alternatives that protect the environment, which includes the groundwater, earth, and air, and existing alternatives currently in use; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Mayor of each county, and Manager and Chief Engineer of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Department of Health; Solid Waste Management; Working Group; Report |
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