LIHUE — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. on Wednesday accepted the County of Kauai Department of Public Works Final Environmental Impact Statement for the new municipal solid waste landfill to be located on Ma‘alo Road in Lihue.
LIHUE — Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. on Wednesday accepted the County of Kauai Department of Public Works Final Environmental Impact Statement for the new municipal solid waste landfill to be located on Ma‘alo Road in Lihue.
Carvalho was joined by Managing Director Wallace Rezentes Jr., Acting County Engineer Lyle Tabata, and Kauai County Councilmember Arthur Brun to sign the letter of acceptance which will be submitted to the state’s Office of Environmental Quality Control and published in The Environmental Notice.
“I am excited and ready to move forward with the siting of this new landfill, which is something that has been on the top of my Holoholo 2020 list of projects for Kauai,” Carvalho said. “After reviewing the Final EIS, I am satisfied with the statements made knowing they are in accordance with applicable laws and that the Final EIS also addresses mitigation measures for any community concerns and other potential impacts.”
The Department of Public Works held public meetings in May to provide information on the county’s Draft EIS and to offer the community the opportunity to learn and comment about the project.
The Draft and Final EIS were prepared by the county’s consultants, AECOM and R.M. Towill. Once the mayor’s acceptance letter is received by the OEQC, the county can begin the final design, permitting, and land-transfer process and move towards construction.
The proposed project includes the construction and operation of a new municipal solid waste landfill on about 270 acres at a site on Ma‘alo Road, and a new, 2.8-mile off-site access road and utility infrastructure to support the development.
The new landfill will provide for the proper disposal of the island’s generated municipal solid waste that cannot be further reused, recycled or otherwise recovered.
“It will ensure that our solid waste needs are met when the existing Kekaha landfill inevitably reaches capacity,” Carvalho said. “We are planning for Kauai’s future, and this landfill is crucial to meet the health and safety needs of our community. This is an important step forward for our Kauai people and the generations to come.”
