The capped South Hilo Sanitary Landfill. Photo taken on June 10, 2020 by David Corrigan.

(BIVN) – The closure of the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill is nearly complete.

The Hilo landfill, which dates back to the 1960’s, received its last truckload of waste in December 2019. The project is expected to be substantially complete by mid-June of 2020, the County of Hawaiʻi says.

The Department of Environmental Management’s Solid Waste Division’s contractor for the job is Kiewit Construction.

The closure involves a “capping method” that is expected to reduce overall maintenance of the closed landfill; the first of its kind to be permitted and constructed in Hawaiʻi. According to the County:

The project consists of capping the 40-acre waste fill with soil cover, a polyethylene liner, synthetic turf liner, and installation of storm water management structures. The green synthetic turf grass (like that used on indoor football fields) was placed over the polyethylene liner and sealed. The amount of turf installed could cover over 30 football fields.

The County began the process of closing the landfill in August 2019, and they hired HDR Engineering to facilitate the closure plan. The closure plan was approved by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health.