WAIMANALO — A landfill that has been decaying for 60 years on the shores of Bellows Air Force Station will be removed thanks to a joint military and community effort.

The Air Force will excavate approximately 5,000 cubic yards of waste and debris and in its place restore pristine beach that both the military and the community can use.

The one-acre parcel has been off-limits for four years while the military determined what to do there. It was slated for no-action, but the local community with the support of its congresswoman changed that.

People were appalled that scrap metal, glass, industrial waste and cans were buried two feet under the surface next to a sandy beach and the ocean, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono said at a blessing ceremony to kick off the project yesterday.

"It's pretty clear that if there was some kind of major storm it could undermine this site and all of this debris ... could wash into the ocean," Hirono said. "That would have been a safety hazard."

LF24, or Pier Dump, is located on the Marine Corps Training Area at Bellows near the base's second security gate. The Marines use the area for training and the site is within Bellows Field Beach Park, which is used for public recreation on weekends and holidays. It is fenced now with signs warning of hazards there.

The base had been under Air Force control for decades, but a 1999 agreement transferred 1,049 acres to the Marines, including this landfill.

Although the property belongs to the Marines, the Air Force is responsible for environmental issues there.

The site was initially investigated in 1996 in a search for general waste disposal activities on the base. Three other landfills are on the base, said Todd Lanning, environmental restoration chief for the Air Force. More investigations took place in 1998 and 2005.

The results from LF24 determined that there was no risk to humans or the environment, Lanning said. The recommended remedy for it was "no further action."

The project will begin Sept. 22 and should be completed by December, he said.

"It's a slow process because as we remove layer after layer of the soil and debris, we need to look real carefully for archeological artifacts and iwi," Lanning said, adding that no bones were found at the site on the previous investigations.

He said they don't expect to find unexploded ordnance but they are prepared to handle any that are encountered.

Andrew Jamila Jr., co-chair of the Restoration Advisory Board for Bellows, said the community had pushed for a cleanup since it learned about the site in 1999.

"They were just going to cover it up with a top layer," Jamila said. Because there was no heavy-duty contamination, funding was not available, he said.

Hirono came through with a $2 million appropriation for the Marines, who turned to the Air Force to run the project because it has the expertise.

Local subcontractors and laborers from Waimanalo are being hired for the project, bringing a small economic boost to the community, said Kilauea Wilson, owner of Volcano Pacific Construction Services, which is working on the project.

"It means more to me to have the place cleaned up," said Wilson, a longtime Waimanalo resident. "It doesn't matter who gets the work. But we're fortunate to have some work."

Both the Marines and the Air Force said they wanted to clean up the site, but couldn't get funding for it.

"It is a hazard and it's not attractive for the beach," said Col. Robert Rice, commander of Marine Corps Base Hawai'i. "The citizens came through with the money and the Air Force is better equipped to do the project. We're really enthusiastic to be a three-way partner in this."

The Air Force has taken the lead on the project from the beginning and although the reports said the area was safe, there was still a desire to clean the site, said Col. Dean Wolford, vice commander of the 15th Airlift Wing, Hickam Air Force Base.

"Of course we don't want any landfills that are on military ground by the sea," Wolford said. "We'd like to ensure that they are safe, habitable and the ultimate goal would be to clean them up. This is a great opportunity to do that."

Kim Kalama, a Waimanalo community activist, extended a big mahalo to the community, the military and Hirono.

"This is great, at least this is a start to hopefully more positive projects in the future of cleaning our land," Kalama said.