Requesting The Governor, Or The Governor's Designee, To Convene A Working Group On Solid Waste Management.
SCR104 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution that asks the Governor, or the Governor’s designee, to convene a Solid Waste Management Working Group. The resolution is driven by concerns about Oahu’s landfill capacity, especially the 2028 expiration of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill permit and the lack of an identified replacement site that is acceptable to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. It notes that proposed landfill locations may pose groundwater contamination risks because they are above aquifers, and that military-controlled federal lands are not available for landfill use under federal rules.
The working group is intended to examine broader solid waste strategies rather than rely solely on a new landfill. It would include representatives from state and county agencies, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, recycling, composting, reuse, and deconstruction industries, Zero Waste USA, a Hawaii environmental nonprofit focused on zero-waste priorities, a landfill liner leakage expert, a unit-based pricing expert, and a representative from the U.S. Armed Forces. The group would hold an initial meeting, elect a chair, and submit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2026 Regular Session.
Because SCR104 is a concurrent resolution, it does not directly amend state statutes or create binding regulatory requirements. Its practical effect is to direct attention and coordination toward solid waste planning by requesting executive branch action and a multi-stakeholder study process. If implemented, the working group’s report could lead to future legislation or policy changes affecting landfill siting, recycling, composting, reuse, deconstruction, unit-based pricing, and other materials management programs in Hawaii, particularly on Oahu.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill is cautious and problem-solving, with a strong emphasis on environmental protection and long-term waste reduction. The committee votes show unanimous support in both the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, each passing the measure 4-0 with amendments. That voting pattern suggests broad agreement that the landfill issue and broader solid waste challenges warrant coordinated study.
The main points of contention underlying the resolution involve landfill siting and the tradeoffs between disposal capacity and environmental risk. The bill highlights disagreement or difficulty around whether any feasible landfill sites exist that would avoid aquifers and protected lands, and it references the possibility that the City may otherwise seek an expansion of the existing landfill, which the resolution characterizes as legally prohibited. Another tension is between continued reliance on landfill disposal and advocates for zero-waste and alternative materials management approaches, including recycling, composting, reuse, deconstruction, and other technologies. The inclusion of military and water supply stakeholders indicates that federal land availability and groundwater protection are also central concerns.