Honolulu: O'ahu's Only Municipal Landfill Nears Capacity

Date: December 7, 2006

Source: News Room

Honolulu: O'ahu's only municipal landfill nears capacity. According to a poll commissioned by the City Council, nearly half of those surveyed oppose a plan to ship garbage out of state. Companies have offered for years to ship O'ahu garbage to huge landfills in rural Washington or Idaho. Unless a barge was to capsize, the pollution risks would be minimal, according to an environmental assessment by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Honolulu officials contend that the Waimanalo Gulch landfill, which has been in operation since 1989, can be expanded for at least 15 more years, but foul odors and wind-blown trash from the city-owned facility have been major sore points for some residents.

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