With the island’s only municipal landfill expected to reach capacity by 2030, the county is pursuing a vertical expansion that could extend operations in Kekaha for another decade.
LĪHUʻE — The Kauaʻi County Council will hold a public hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, on proposed legislation restricting where new landfills may be constructed, as the county pursues a vertical expansion that could extend operations in Kekaha for over a decade, into the early 2040s.
The hearing, scheduled to begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. at the Historic County Building in Līhuʻe, will include consideration of Bill No. 3007, which proposes prohibiting new landfills within six miles of an existing landfill that has accepted waste within the previous 30 years.
The proposed ordinance would not prevent expansion or modification of an existing landfill, including the county’s proposed Cell 3 Vertical Expansion Project in Kekaha.
The legislation comes as county officials work to address a looming shortage of landfill capacity on Kauaʻi.
What is being proposed in Kekaha?
According to the county’s Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice, published June 8, the Kekaha Landfill is projected to reach its permitted capacity by approximately 2030.
The county is proposing to construct a third disposal area, known as Cell 3, vertically over portions of the existing Phase I and Phase II landfill areas rather than expanding the facility’s footprint farther outward.
The project is intended to provide approximately 10 to 12 additional years of waste disposal capacity, potentially extending landfill operations in Kekaha.
The additional capacity would allow the county to continue accepting municipal solid waste while developing a replacement landfill at Maʻalo, north of Līhuʻe.
County officials estimate that permitting, designing and constructing the proposed Maʻalo facility could take approximately 10 years.
More than 70 years of landfill operations
The Kekaha Landfill has served West Kauaʻi since 1953, when the state set aside land for the original dumping ground.
The original disposal area, now known as Phase I, operated without a modern landfill liner for forty years until its closure in October 1993.
The county began using Phase II, a lined disposal facility, the following day. Over subsequent decades, additional expansions allowed Kekaha to continue serving as Kauaʻi’s primary municipal waste disposal site.
Today, Kekaha remains the island’s only active, permitted municipal solid waste landfill.
The proposed Cell 3 project represents another significant chapter in the facility’s history, raising questions about the long-term future of waste disposal on Kauaʻi and the continued use of land in Kekaha for islandwide operations.
Environmental review underway
The proposed expansion remains subject to environmental review under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Chapter 343.
The county published its Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice in June, opening a 30-day public comment period that concluded July 8.
The environmental review process is intended to evaluate potential effects associated with the proposed expansion, including impacts on surrounding land, water resources, air quality and nearby communities.
According to the county’s published schedule, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement is anticipated in December 2026, followed by another public comment period in early 2027. A Final Environmental Impact Statement is tentatively scheduled for completion in 2027.
The project has not yet completed that review process.
Wednesday’s public hearing
The County Council’s Oct. 28 hearing on Bill No. 3007 will provide an opportunity for residents to comment on proposed restrictions governing the locations of future landfills.
Although the proposed ordinance is separate from the Cell 3 expansion’s environmental review, both matters concern the long-term management of Kauaʻi’s solid waste and the future of landfill operations in Kekaha.
Residents may provide oral testimony in person at the Council Chambers or submit written testimony to counciltestimony@kauai.gov.
The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Historic County Building, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Līhuʻe. The council also provides a livestream through its website.
Westside Ledger plans to attend Wednesday’s proceedings and report on council discussions, public testimony and developments affecting the future of the Kekaha Landfill.
Additional information about the proposed Cell 3 Vertical Expansion Project is available in the County of Kauaʻi’s June 8, 2026, Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice.