Lawsuit filed over plan for expansion
| • | Landfill near full capacity |
By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer
A group of homeowners who live downwind of the city's Waimanalo Gulch landfill is suing the city, saying an environmental study of a proposal to expand the landfill by about 15 acres is insufficient.
The lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court yesterday by lawyers Dean Choy and Colleen Hanabusa, asks that the city be prevented from taking any action on the expansion plan until concerns of the Ko Olina community are adequately addressed and another public hearing is held.
Hanabusa is also a state senator representing the 21st District, which includes Ko Olina and the landfill.
In her written comments on the environmental impact statement for the expansion, Hanabusa accused city officials of engaging in "environmental racism," saying Leeward residents "are being denied the right to live in a healthy environment" and are "being saddled with disproportionate health risks" related to the landfill.
City officials had not been served with the lawsuit yesterday afternoon, city spokeswoman Carol Costa said.
