HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	12
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

URGING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT LANDFILL HOST BENEFITS PROGRAM AND PROGRAM ADVISORY GROUP.

WHEREAS, every community in Hawaii has the right to a "clean and healthful environment" pursuant to article XI, section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution; and

WHEREAS, scientific consensus is that landfills, particularly construction and demolition landfills, have negative health impacts for those who live, work, and play nearby; and

WHEREAS, studies have shown evidence of significant negative impacts for those living within two miles of an active landfill depending on geography, micro-climates, and local mitigation efforts; and

WHEREAS, landfills can be noisy and odiferous, and can carry a negative stigma for the host community; and

WHEREAS, Honolulu residents living near active landfills have an increased risk of health problems, including reduced lung function, asthma, ataxia, paralysis, and lung cancer, as the air quality of their homes becomes contaminated with unmitigated dust pollution; and

WHEREAS, these residents have incurred substantial costs as a direct result of living near active landfills, including expenses for medical treatments, home repair, repainting, and the installation and maintenance of air filtration systems due to the increased buildup of dust; and

WHEREAS, from 2006 to 2009, the City and County of Honolulu allocated $2,000,000 each year to the Leeward Coast community to offset the burden placed on the community by the expansion of the Waimanalo Gulch landfill; and

WHEREAS, in its 2022 final report, the Oahu Landfill Siting Advisory Committee recommended that a host community benefits package be established to compensate not only the next community to host a landfill, but also communities that have borne the burden of past Oahu landfills; and

WHEREAS, the Oahu Landfill Siting Advisory Committee further recommended the establishment of an advisory committee to assist in the identification of host community concerns and the management of potential endowments, emphasizing that community participation should play an important role in the process; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to establish a permanent program to compensate communities that have or will host landfills; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to create an advisory group composed of community members to identify specific host community concerns and assist in the management and distribution of compensation funds or benefits; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and each member of the Honolulu City Council.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

City and County of Honolulu; Landfills; Host Community Benefits; Advisory Group