Landfill issue heats up again

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

The private company that operates the city's Waimanalo Gulch landfill yesterday defended its handling of an underground fire — or what it called "hot spots" — and other concerns, but City Councilman Todd Apo wasn't satisfied.

Apo, who represents the West O'ahu area nearest the dump, said yesterday's update made the situation seem like less of an emergency than earlier state Health Department reports, but he doesn't want to just take the operator's assessment.

"I hope that the Department of Health will investigate independently," Apo said. "I think there's still a lot of questions to be answered, and a lot of concerns."

Eric Takamura, director of the city's Department of Environmental Services, said on Friday that the fire and complaints about odor and litter blowing into nearby residential areas raised questions about the landfill's management.

Yesterday's briefing before the City Council's Public Works and Economic Development Committee was intended to address such issues.

Steve Cassulo, vice president and general manager of Waste Management of Hawaii, told council members that they no longer believe there was a fire. Instead, the company believes there are underground hot spots, and he said placing soil or tarps on top of the garbage will help reduce those hot spots.

State health official Tom Arizumi said the department's experts have not ruled out a fire but expect to talk more about the situation at a meeting today with the city and the company. "They've done a fairly good job of responding to our request for information," Arizumi said, referring to Waste Management.

Cassulo said the company had reported the higher-than-normal temperatures — up to 200 degrees — and elevated levels of carbon monoxide to the Health Department along with its conclusion that they suspected an underground fire.

But he said laboratory tests since indicate no significant concentrations of carbon monoxide. He said the company also has been told that high hydrogen concentrations could cause the meters to indicate "false positives for carbon monoxide."

Apo said he also was concerned by Cassulo's report that the liquid leachate that is permitted to be up to one foot deep has increased to 19 to 20 feet deep in parts of the lined landfill.

Environmental watchdog Carroll Cox, of EnviroWatch, has questioned whether the leachate has made the dump unstable and likely to shift.

Apo said he has been concerned for residents who live closest to the landfill, citing concerns over odor, truck traffic and litter. But he said these new concerns raise bigger issues about management of the city's only municipal landfill.

Takamura yesterday said he felt the company had been addressing the concerns raised as the city works to find long-term solutions for garbage disposal.

Committee chairman Rod Tam said he hopes to work with the administration of Mayor Mufi Hannemann on a "Solid Waste Action Plan" for the future, with public hearings along the way.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at 535-2429 or rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.