The City promised that Waimanalo Gulch Landfill would close in May 2008. I have committed to the Mayor and his administration that I would do whatever I could to assist them in insuring that this promise is kept. The City Council is currently working on legislation to keep the pressure on the administration to meet this goal. That said, I recognize that we must also have the answer of where our waste will go upon the closure of Waimanalo Gulch. While my goal is to find a solution such that we do not need a daily landfill – using a landfill only in the case of disaster or emergency – there are alternative landfill sites that can be used. While it may be difficult to site a new landfill, that is not a reason for the City to go back on its promise to close Waimanalo Gulch. The City must relieve West Oahu of this burden – which is just one of the many burdens that West Oahu shoulders for the entire island.
The City Council will continue to help implement real solutions for Oahu's landfill crisis. If we do not, the situation will not improve and our landfills will continue to grow. Possible alternatives include high tech solutions like gasification and other waste to energy conversion or low-tech solutions like recycling or shipping out our waste. No matter what the route, the time is now for the City to deal with the problem.
