Trucks carrying Lahaina wildfire debris today began transport operations from the Olowalu Temporary Debris Storage (TDS) site to the Permanent Disposal Site (PDS) adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill in Puʻunēnē, as work began to transfer approximately 400,000 tons of debris to the permanent site.

The public is advised that access is restricted to authorized personnel only at the TDS and PDS, which are active construction sites.

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 is using former cane haul roads to minimize the impact on traffic. From the temporary site, trucks are traveling along Honoapiʻilani Highway (HI-30) from Olowalu to Māʻalaea, then turning onto Kūihelani Highway (HI-380) before utilizing the cane haul roads from Waikō Road to the PDS. Unauthorized vehicles are not allowed on the cane haul roads.

The County of Maui is working in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) and Hawaiʻi Department of Health to carry out the transport of the debris, which is  the equivalent of about five football fields, five stories high.

Up to 50 trucks identified by “Lahaina Wildfire Debris” decals will be making multiple round trips daily. Work will be occurring 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.

Temporary intersection improvements, traffic flaggers and signage on State and County roads are being used to enhance safety. Alternate routes have been identified along State and County roads for emergency hauling operations in the event of a temporary road closure.

The debris has been evaluated by the EPA, DOH and the County, and found to pose no public health risk in its transport and placement at the PDS. To mitigate direct exposure to workers and the public during debris handling and transport, debris will be lightly wetted for dust control before being loaded into trucks and wrapped in thick plastic sheeting. Dust monitoring stations will be located both at the TDS and downwind of the PDS.

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.

The County Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division is overseeing the construction of the PDS.

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