(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County officials took questions from the public on the upcoming closure of the Hilo landfill during a Wednesday evening meeting.

The South Hilo Sanitary Landfill is slated to close to commercial use some time in September 2019, and the gathering was a chance for the people to ask questions about how the closure will affect them.

The County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division chief Greg Goodale did most of the talking, taking questions on trucking, the sort station, and the life expectancy of the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill in Puʻuanahulu.

Prior to the meeting, the County provided this information:

How will the permanent closure of the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill (SHSL) affect residential users in East Hawaiʻi?

The closure of the SHSL will have little to no effect on the residential users of transfer stations in East Hawaiʻi. Residential users will continue to take the same materials to their local transfer stations. If a residential user frequently used the SHSL for disposal, the user will be directed to use the East Hawai‘i Regional Sort Station located by the SHSL.

Will the East Hawai i transfer stations still be operating? Will the hours change?

The transfer stations in East Hawaiʻi will continue to be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the exception of the Hilo Transfer Station (at the SHSL), which is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Is there a projected date for the permanent closure of the SHSL? How much advance notice will the public have?

We expect the SHSL to close to commercial use some time in September 2019 and will strive to provide information regarding services to the public in a timely manner.