Kapa'a Quarry back on dump list

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAILUA — City officials have added Kapa'a Quarry to a list of potential landfill sites just three months after assuring the Kailua Neighborhood Board that they had decided against using the location as a city dump.

	Public meeting
•	What: Kailua Neighborhood Board
•	When: 7 p.m. Feb. 7
•	Where: Kailua District Park Multipurpose Room.

"Nothing has changed," said city spokeswoman Carol Costa.

According to Costa, the site was added to the list at the insistence of Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Barbers Point, Makaha), who represents the Leeward area that includes the Waimanalo Gulch landfill, which the city proposes to expand to meet O'ahu's growing refuse needs.

"If you look at the list it says (Kapa'a is) unavailable for seven to 10 years, which makes it a very low possibility," Costa said. "I don't think Kailua has anything to worry about."

City officials had said on several occasions that the site wouldn't be used, so Kailua Neighborhood Board member Jim Corcoran said he doesn't understand why the quarry was placed on the list. He suspects the worst.

"This is just the city calming everybody down while they proceed to put in a landfill," Corcoran said. "It's a typical government trick."

The quarry was not on the Inventory of Potential Alternative Landfill Sites last year. Back then, Tim Steinberger, director for the city Department of Environmental Services, said the site had been evaluated and the city decided against using it because the quarry expected to operate for another five to seven years.

However, Corcoran received an e-mail from Steinberger on Jan. 18 notifying him that Kapa'a Quarry had been added to the list. Makakilo Quarry also has been added to the list.

The Kailua board has already come out in opposition to using Kapa'a Quarry for a landfill, Corcoran said.

City Councilman Steve Holmes said the city is moving away from landfills and pursuing other options, including increasing the capacity at H-Power, establishing an Alternative Disposal Technology Park, evaluating plasma arc technology and increasing recycling programs.

Given Kailua's rainy conditions and the new federal standards for landfills, building a landfill at Kapa'a would be more costly than in drier areas, Holmes said. Waimanalo Gulch has enough room in the back to accommodate trash for another 30 years, according to Holmes.

"The city has no intention of developing Kapa'a Quarry as a landfill," he said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.