COURTESY OF MAUI COUNTY
A fleet of trucks began hauling Lahaina wildfire debris from a temporary holding area in Olowalu to a permanent landfill in Central Maui on June 16.
Maui County officials said the transfer of about 400,000 tons of wildfire debris from a temporary storage site in Olowalu to the Central Maui Landfill has been completed.
Officials marked it as a milestone on Wednesday and said work to restore Olowalu will now begin.
“This milestone holds deep meaning for our community,” said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen in a news release. “The debris from Lahaina represents more than the physical remnants of what was lost — it carries the memory and spirit of a place and its people. With this transfer complete, the debris now rests in a protected area that will remain undisturbed, as we promised.”
He continued with, “As we begin the final phase to restore the Olowalu site, our focus remains on caring for our aina, honoring our commitments, and moving forward with the same respect and diligence that have guided this effort from the beginning.”
The transport of ash, soil, and other debris from the 2023 Lahaina wildfires from one site to the other began in mid-June. For four months, about 50 trucks made daily round trips between Olowalu and the permanent disposal site in Central Maui to complete the relocation.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led the transfer operation in partnership with the state, Maui County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others.
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USACE and its contractor, Environmental Chemical Corporation, will remove the liner, leachate system and other infrastructure at the temporary debris storage site in Olowalu. Tests will be conducted to confirm no contamination reached the surrounding environment.
For another 10 weeks, trucks will continue to haul restoration materials and debris, but there will be fewer of them. They will not be marked with “Maui Wildfire Debris” stickers.
The Maui Recovers website now has a TDS restoration tracker to monitor the progress of these efforts at mauirecovers.org/debris-containment.
