There may be no immediate alternative to keeping O'ahu's main garbage dump open longer, but more must be done to prepare for the future and reduce the amount of trash going there, several City Council members said yesterday.

The Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill is scheduled to stop accepting trash in less than six months, but the city is seeking approval today from its Planning Commission to keep the site open at least two more years.

"Any extension needs to include a very strong set of conditions and requirements the community can agree on regarding any continued operation of Waimanalo Gulch," said Councilman Todd Apo, who represents the area.

To win approval for an earlier extension, the city agreed in 2003 to close the Leeward O'ahu dump in 2008. The City Council considered setting up a new dump elsewhere, but agreed in 2004 to seek an expansion of the site if no alternative was found.

Major opponents of the dump include the nearby Ko Olina Resort and Marina, Apo's employer. The resort's community association, and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, have petitioned to intervene before the Planning Commission to fight the extension. Hanabusa lives at the resort and represents the surrounding area.

Councilman Gary Okino, a retired city planner, said the dump must remain open.

"The commission should make a positive decision to go ahead," he said. "We have no choice to do anything else. It would be ridiculous (to reject the extension). We've got to move ahead as soon as we can. It's critical."

Councilman Nestor Garcia said: "I'm willing to go with a short-term extension. But for the long term, we're going to have to have a real discussion."

Council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall said she was "absolutely furious" that the city is more than 11 months late in producing a comprehensive solid-waste management plan to map out such options.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said a draft of the plan should be released this month.

Hannemann said his administration is "very diligently" considering plans to ship some trash away and otherwise reduce the volume headed to the dump, but that it must remain open and be expanded for the future."

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.