The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is making available for review, the draft solid waste management renewal and modification permit to the County of Kauai and Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc., for the operation of the Kekaha Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill, which includes a lateral expansion to add approximately 6.4 acres to the active landfill area. The renewal and modification permit will allow the County of Kauai and Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. to continue MSW landfilling operations at the Kekaha Phase II Municipal Solid Waste Landfill until the permit’s expiration, approximately in August, 2014, or until landfill permitted capacity is reached, whichever occurs first.
The draft permit has been prepared under the provisions of Chapter 342H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Title 11, Chapter 58.1, Hawaii Administrative Rules. Federal solid waste regulations, 40 CFR 258, are incorporated into state regulations.
The Kekaha Sanitary Landfill is located on the island of Kauai, at 6900-D Kaumualii Highway, Kekaha. The Kekaha Sanitary Landfill is situated on 98 acres of land, and is comprised of two distinct refuse fill areas identified as Phase I, approximately 33 acres, and Phase II, approximately 38.5 acres (including the added 6.4 acre Cell 1). Phase I ceased operations on October 8, 1993. Phase II began operations on October 9, 1993. Phase II was constructed to meet the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D criteria and is currently the only active permitted MSW landfill on Kauai.
The landfill accepts MSW from county collection routes, private collection companies, and residential and commercial self-haulers. MSW is defined as residential and commercial solid waste, non-hazardous industrial solid waste, and construction/demolition debris. The site will not accept regulated hazardous or TSCA-regulated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes, and non-household bulk or non-containerized liquid waste. The existing recyclable material and residential waste drop-off facility will be retained. The landfill has been designed and constructed with environmental controls including a composite liner, leachate collection, and groundwater and gas monitoring systems. The site satisfies the location restrictions and operating criteria set forth in state and federal regulations. A liner evaluation was performed to demonstrate that specified contaminant concentrations will not exceed the maximum contaminant levels in the uppermost aquifer at the relevant point of compliance as specified by DOH.
Interested parties may review the draft permit and the permit application at the Kekaha MSW landfill, 6900-D Kaumualii Highway, Kekaha, Kauai (phone (808) 337-1416); at the County of Kauai, Solid Waste Division, 4444 Rice Street, Room 225, Lihue, Kauai (phone: (808) 241-4839); and at the DOH, Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, 919 Ala Moana Blvd, Room 212, Honolulu, Oahu (phone: (808) 586-4226).
All written comments should be submitted within the thirty-day comment period to the DOH, Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, Attention: Mr. Steven Chang, 919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 212, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96814 (phone: (808) 586-4226); and to the County of Kauai, Solid Waste Division, Attention: Mr. Troy Tanigawa, at 4444 Rice Street, Room 225, Lihue, Kauai 96766 (phone: (808) 241-4839). The thirty-day comment period will begin from the date of initial publication of this Notice of Draft Permit.
The DOH will respond to all comments received with copies forwarded to the County. The DOH may revise the draft permit conditions should comments raise significant issues.
A public hearing on the draft permit and application has been scheduled for June 30, 2009, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Waimea Neighborhood Center, 4556 Makeke Road, Waimea, HI 96796.
(SB124238 5/29/09)~