Kauai working on proposal for new landfill

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) - Kauai County officials are drafting an environmental impact statement for a new landfill to replace the one in Kekaha that is expected to reach capacity in about 10 more years.

The Garden Island reports deputy director of public works, Lyle Tabata, says the county is considering an undeveloped land plot in Maalo for the new landfill, which sits between Lihue and Hanamaulu.

The 270-acre site would be built in stages, with the first 70 acres expected to handle the island's waste for more than a century. Tabata says the full site would reach capacity after about 300 years.

The county is looking into a range of funding options for the project.

The existing landfill is expected to cost about $15 million to shutter, plus additional expenses for post-closure monitoring and maintenance.