Dole opposes city’s landfill location in ‘heart of our pineapple operation’
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Wahiawa pineapple is part of Hawaii’s plantation heritage and Dole Food Company has 2,700 acres of pineapple fields on Oahu.
Dan Nellis, general manager of Dole’s Hawaii division, showed Hawaii News Now where the city wants to build the next 150-acre landfill in Central Oahu.
He says Dole is against the landfill location.
“Their choice of location is very inappropriate for Dole. It’s right in the heart of our pineapple plantation,” said Nellis.
Dole says the potential landfill would cover a portion of three of its prime pineapple fields. It would go from Pa’ala’a Uka Pūpūkea Road, commonly referred to as Helemano Road, along Kamehameha Highway and around the bend of the highway.
About a quarter mile from the landfill site is a Dole well that goes down 800 feet to the aquifer. The water is used for irrigation and the company is in the process of selling that well to the state.
“If it got contaminated, it’s the same aquifer that drinking water is coming from so there’s restrictions for agricultural wells to make sure we don’t contaminate it,” said Nellis.
Hawaii News Now asked Nellis if another Dole property would be acceptable for a landfill.
“We have some agricultural land for sale that was formerly pineapple and formerly sugar that would be suitable from my point of view because it’s not in the middle of our pineapple farm,” Nellis said.
“I do believe it will come up with the exact same issues with the aquifer,” he added.
The city insists its landfill decision came with exhaustive planning, technology to protect the environment, and the public will be able to weigh in on an environmental impact statement.
News of the landfill location sparked fear among Dole workers worried about their jobs. Nellis says he had to calm nerves.
“I did make the commitment to them and I make the commitment publicly: we are here and we are going to be in the pineapple business,” said Nellis.
“The landfill issue will be figured out one way or the other, but we are not going to let it get in the way of what we do,” he added.
While there are complicated land and water issues ahead, Nellis says the future of Dole is rooted in Wahiawa.
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