Save Kauai brings together current information about Kauai and web-based tools that allow you to take action. If we want to affect the future of Kauai in a pono way we must organize and begin implementing solutions, not just fighting the problems.
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http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/09/12/news/news03.txt
Landfill expansion money buys county time
by Blake Jones - The Garden Island
The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday approved $4.9 million for a lateral expansion to the island’s sole landfill in Kekaha.
The decision, which will extend the landfill’s life by five years, buys the county time as it shops for a new facility site on Kaua‘i.
The Kekaha landfill was expected to reach capacity in December or January, though a recent aerial survey of the facility has identified areas that can accept more density, and perhaps extend the life by another year.
The council’s unanimous vote approved the transfer of $1 million earmarked for Maluhia Road improvements, $1 million from the Kapa‘a baseyard structural renovation and $2.9 million from project contingency for the expansion.
Chair Jay Furfaro said the council had no real choice in the matter given the urgency of the situation, and that its role was akin to that of an air traffic control tower.
“We need to move today,” he said.
Before the expansion work can begin, however, permits must be finalized.
Meanwhile, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Landfill Site Selection is working to finalize the criteria that will be used to rank the eight possible locations for a new landfill on Kaua‘i.
The 15-member appointed group, under the guidance of two consultants, determined 26 conditions ranging from population density near the site to the cost of acquisition.
“We anticipate that the ranking process will be complete and a recommended location for the new landfill site will be made by December,” Troy Tanigawa, environmental service management engineer with the Division of Solid Waste, said yesterday via e-mail.
Furfaro said concurrent with selecting a new site, the county must move on a materials recovery facility, or MRF, to reduce the amount of waste diverted there so it lasts longer.
In addition, a pilot program for curbside recycling, which would be taken to the MRF, is still in the works. It was funded in the current fiscal year budget, and could launch in Wailua or Kapa‘a, according to Furfaro.
The Updated Solid Waste Management Plan has been released
Please see attachment below.
With the Kekaha Landfill close to maximum capacity and few options for recycling, we are all well aware of the waste problem on Kaua’i. The draft upgrade for the county’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan was released on November 16th (see attachments above). Public comment will be accepted after a 60-day review process. Although the new plan includes recommendations that would bring Kaua’i to a 35% waste diversion rate within five years, a lot of concerns remain. The draft plan does not include essential “Maximum Reduce, Re-use and Recycle” facilities, such as a materials recovery facility. Instead, it recommends building an expensive and polluting Waste to Energy (WTE) Facility.
For more information about the problems with Waste to Energy Facilities and sustainable alternatives, see the attachments above. Zero Waste Kaua'i is a committed group of citizens that advocates for a "Max 3R's" (recycle, reduce, reuse) approach to our waste stream. Their current goals are: island-wide curbside recycling, including green waste to provide us with soil enriching compost; to turn our trash into a resource; to ban Styrofoam & plastic; and most importantly to be wiser consumers, insisting on cradle to cradle design. To learn more about ZWK's projects, visit http://zerowastekauai.org. Their meetings are posted on the Save Kaua'i Calendar.