Transport of 400,000 tons of wildfire debris from Olowalu to Central Maui to begin in June

The transport of nonhazardous Lahaina wildfire debris from the Temporary Debris Storage Site in Olowalu to the Permanent Disposal Site at the Central Maui Landfill in Puʻunēnē will begin in early June. The effort is being carried out by the County of Maui, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation.

Transport of the debris will start when construction is completed at the PDS, which is expected in early June. The County Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division is overseeing the PDS construction.

The amount of debris is approximately 400,000 tons – the equivalent of about five football fields, five stories high. Operations will consist of up to 50 trucks each making four round trips daily. Work will take place during daylight hours, seven days a week, for an estimated five months. For the safety of work crews at both sites, no night operations will occur.

“We appreciate our County departments and State and Federal partners for helping us reach another significant step in our recovery efforts,” said Mayor Richard Bissen. “We ask for the continued kōkua of our residents and visitors to ensure the transfer of Lahaina’s wildfire debris is done safely and respectfully.”

While operations are ongoing, motorists traveling to and from West Maui are advised to plan for slower than usual traffic and to drive safely by not passing or tailgating debris-hauling trucks.

A portion of the approximately 19-mile primary hauling route will utilize former cane haul roads to minimize the impact on traffic. From the temporary site, trucks will travel along Honoapiʻilani Highway (HI-30) from Olowalu to Māʻalaea, then turn onto Kūihelani Highway (HI-380) before utilizing the cane haul roads from Waikō Road to the PDS. 

Temporary intersection improvements, traffic flaggers and signage on State and County roads will be used to enhance safety. Alternate routes have been identified along State and County roads for emergency hauling operations in the event of temporary closures of portions of the cane haul road.

Debris at the TDS will be lightly wetted for dust control. It will then be loaded into trucks and wrapped in industrial plastic sheeting. The debris is considered nonhazardous. Dust monitoring stations will be located both at the TDS and downwind of the PDS.

“The US Army Corps of Engineers is committed to safely and efficiently executing this critical phase of the recovery with our County, State and Federal partners,” said Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff, District Commander for the US Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District. “We are implementing rigorous protocols at every stage of the debris transport process, from Olowalu to the Central Maui Landfill, that will help us get the job done safely and with the utmost respect for the Lahaina community.”

Debris cleared from 1,538 residential and commercial properties in Lahaina was temporarily stored at the TDS site in Olowalu, as the County worked to identify, acquire and construct a permanent site. With extensive input from the community, the County selected the Central Maui Landfill as the location for the PDS in February 2024. In December 2024, the County’s proposed acquisition of 79 acres – 14 of which will be used for the PDS – was approved by the Maui County Council.

The additional acreage is estimated to provide a decade of additional potential landfill capacity for the island’s future needs, while also supporting environmentally conscious waste management efforts.

More information, including the TDS-PDS Transfer & Closure Plan and a map of the hauling route, is available at www.MauiRecovers.org/debristransfer. The USACE Debris Hotline is 877-214-9117.