Update: Hāwī transfer station reopens day early after nearly weeklong closure

Update at 9:17 a.m. Sept. 27: The Hawai‘i County Department of Environmental Management reopened the Hāwī transfer station in North Hawai‘i for regular service today, a day earlier than expected, after being closed since Sept. 22 because of a hazardous substance being improperly dumped into a rubbish chute.

The facility’s reopening follows the successful containment and cleanup of the substance.

Transfer station staff anticipate an increase in trash volume after the extended closure, so they ask for the community’s patience with the facility’s reopening and as operations resume.

The county also reported today that upon further analysis, the hazardous substance improperly dumped at the Hāwī transfer station has now been confirmed as nitric acid.

Initial reports suggested it was transformer oil.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has been a key partner throughout the process, assisting with the investigation and ensuring all safety protocols were properly followed.

The investigation into circumstances surrounding the improper disposal of the hazardous substance is pending further review.

Original post from 11:02 a.m. Sept. 26: It’s been 5 days since the Hāwī transfer station was shuttered after an unknown person carelessly discarded a hazardous material into a rubbish collection bin, contaminating the facility and threatening not just the surrounding environment but the health of those who work there and other North Hawai‘i residents.

The community will have to cope only a short time longer following successful containment and cleanup of the improperly disposed material.

The Hawai‘i County Department of Environmental Management will reopen the Hāwī Transfer Station on Saturday for regular service hours, which are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Hāwī residents and those of the surrounding areas are asked to continue trucking their trash to the Waimea or Puakō transfer stations, about 22 or 25 miles away, respectively while the closure continues.

The extended closure began Sept. 22 when an unidentified liquid, later confirmed to be transformer oil, was dumped into the chute of the transfer station’s collection bin, contaminating other trash inside.

That prompted immediate action by Hawai‘i Fire Department, the Hawai‘i Department of Health and county Solid Waste crews.

Transformer oil requires additional time and resources for proper disposal.

The incident has not only disrupted services and been a major inconvenience for the Hāwī community, it underscores the importance of safely handling hazardous materials.

Improper disposal of substances such as transformer oil threatens public health, strains emergency resources and damages the island’s environment.

Environmental Management offers free household hazardous waste collection events regularly, with the next scheduled for Dec. 7 and 14.

However, residents are urged to safely dispose of items such as oil, chemicals, batteries and other dangerous materials as soon as possible.

Visit the Environmental Management website or contact the department at 808-961-8270 or SWD@hawaiicounty.gov for a list of hazardous waste disposal locations.