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Council reaffirms policy opposing landfills near Honolulu drinking-water aquifers
Summary
The Honolulu City Council adopted Resolution 25-3 CD1 reaffirming a 2003 policy that municipal solid-waste landfills should not be sited near the city’s underground drinking-water resources, following public testimony urging protection of aquifers and discussion of buffer zones created by Act 73.
The Honolulu City Council on Feb. 12 adopted Resolution 25-3 CD1, reaffirming a 2003 city policy that municipal solid-waste landfills should not be located in proximity to the city’s underground drinking-water resources.
The resolution restates the position first set out in Resolution 309 FD1 (adopted April 16, 2003) and urges the Hawaii State Legislature to maintain protections for drinking-water sources when considering landfill siting and related legislation, the introducer said.
Why it matters: Testimony from water managers, labor and community members warned council members that landfills built above aquifers present long-term contamination risks if containment systems fail. Several speakers cited Act 73 — which created a half‑mile buffer zone around certain landfill types for homes, schools and hospitals — and urged that the buffer not be reduced.
Manager Ernie Lau of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply told the council that landfills “are a concern, especially if they’re located above a freshwater resource, our underground aquifer,” and warned contaminants from a landfill could eventually threaten groundwater if containment failed. Lau spoke in support of the resolution.
Labor and community testimony: Cody Sula, testifying for the Iron Workers Union and on behalf of managing director George Paris, said his organization strongly supports protections that keep landfills away from drinking water and noted past local advocacy for Act 73’s buffer zones. Sula asked the council to clarify how the city treats nonpotable groundwater given local desalination practices and warned that desalination used for some communities does not negate risks to aquifers.
Other speakers during the public comment period echoed those concerns. Angela Melody Young of LoRa CARES called for a working group of state and county agencies, neighborhood boards and stakeholders to coordinate deliberations on landfill siting rather than relying on repeated reaffirmations of policy. Several residents cited Red Hill and other past contamination events as reasons to avoid siting landfills above aquifers.
Council debate and outcome: Council Member Tommy Weier, the introducer, said the resolution is a “starting point” and emphasized that the council must protect drinking water and prime agricultural land while also working with the administration on waste‑management options. Council Member Tupelo supported the resolution and urged the city to reduce reliance on landfills by studying alternatives such as waste‑to‑energy and expanded recycling and composting programs.
Noting no objections or reservations, the council adopted Committee Report 7 and Resolution 25-3 CD1 as presented.
What the resolution does not do: The adopted measure reaffirms policy and urges state action; it does not itself require or prohibit a specific landfill siting or create new permitting rules. Several testifiers and council members specifically urged further study and interagency coordination to evaluate alternatives and implementation steps.
