The Kailua Neighborhood Board says all four landfill locations it reviewed in the area conflict with Hawaii’s siting rules, putting a legal obstacle at the center of Honolulu’s search for a successor to Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill. The board’s conclusion does not itself determine whether the sites can be permitted, but it sharpens the question the city must resolve before selecting a location.
The board examined the north and south portions of Kapaa Quarry, Castle Junction and the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, members said the sites fail requirements in Act 73, the 2020 state law governing landfill placement.
What Act 73 actually says
The statute generally bars a waste or disposal facility from being located in a conservation district. It also establishes separation requirements involving landfill boundaries and homes, schools and hospitals. Act 73 contains a narrow exception for emergency circumstances involving significant risks to public safety and health, but the exception cannot exceed three years, according to Hawaii Session Laws.
That distinction matters because the board’s argument involves both the status of the land and the distance to nearby protected or populated locations. The Star-Advertiser reported that Kapaa Quarry is in a conservation district and that the board found the four reviewed locations inconsistent with Act 73. Whether any site could qualify under a different land-use designation, an exception, or a future legislative change remains unresolved.
The decision is being driven by a closing landfill
Honolulu’s search is tied to the planned end of operations at Waimanalo Gulch. Civil Beat reported in March 2025 that the Kapolei landfill had operated since 1989 and was scheduled to close in 2028 under its state permit: Civil Beat. The Star-Advertiser later reported that city officials were seeking an extension and that the site might have additional permitted space beyond the original deadline.
Most of Oahu’s municipal solid waste currently goes to H-POWER before ash and other residue are sent to Waimanalo Gulch, according to the Star-Advertiser. A Kapaa Quarry option would move that disposal destination from west Oahu to the windward side, requiring trucks to travel nearly 30 miles from H-POWER to Kailua. The board says Kapaa Quarry Road is an unsuitable route because of congestion, narrow sections and its proximity to Kawainui Marsh.
The city’s proposal is not yet a final decision
Mayor Rick Blangiardi identified Kapaa Quarry as a possible site and, by August 2026, had described it as the city’s preferred location, the Star-Advertiser reported. Honolulu is conducting a technical evaluation and environmental review, with public comment expected as that work advances. Those studies—not the neighborhood board’s vote alone—will have to address land-use compliance, transportation, environmental effects and the feasibility of alternatives.
The city’s position could also change if the administration seeks an amendment to Act 73 during the next legislative session. Until lawmakers act, the existing conservation-district prohibition and its limited emergency exception remain the governing statutory framework. The central unanswered question is therefore twofold: whether Kapaa Quarry can satisfy current law, and whether Honolulu can identify another permitted site before Waimanalo Gulch reaches its closure deadline.
