Conservation groups decry Honolulu's plan to barge trash to the Mainland, but the city is moving forward, and one trash hauler says it is days from receiving its Department of Health permit for the project.

And the shipping of trash is not an unusual option across the nation, said Tim Hodge, counsel for Washington-based Hawaiian Waste Systems. He said the company already handles trash from Alaska and other states for shipment to a landfill in Washington's Klickitat County.

"Hawai'i is now the only state in the U.S. that does not either export or import trash," Hodge said.

But leaders of two Hawai'i environmental organizations say the shipping of Hawai'i trash to the West Coast is a dereliction of the community's responsibility for its own waste production, as well as a potential public-relations gaffe.

"It makes no sense at all. We haven't even exhausted all of our alternatives locally," said Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club in Hawai'i. "If word gets out that we're shipping our trash to Washington and we're not even doing curbside recycling, it sends the wrong message."

For Life of the Land executive director Henry Curtis, shipping trash is a sign of misplaced priorities.

"I think we should deal with our own waste here," Curtis said. "It would be irresponsible to send it to somewhere else."

The city faces a growing solid-waste crisis. Its Waimanalo Gulch landfill was fined $2.8 million last year for environmental violations, and its permit for the landfill runs out next year. The area community opposes keeping the landfill there.

The city has no viable alternative landfill site identified, said city Environmental Services Department chief Eric Takamura. So the city is asking the state Department of Health for an extension of its existing permit, while it proceeds with an environmental impact statement for a mauka expansion.

Takamura said he doesn't disagree with Mikulina and Curtis about shipping not being a good option. It costs the city between $20 and $25 a ton to landfill its trash, but preliminary discussions suggest that the shipping option will cost $70 to $75 a ton, he said.

"We don't want to do it long-term," he said.

Takamura said the city is preparing a contract it can discuss with the three firms that have expressed interest in shipping solid waste out of the state.

Hawaiian Waste Systems' Hodge said the firm understands that it may not be a long-term business.

"We're fine to do this as an interim solution for Honolulu," he said. Hodge said Hawaiian Waste Systems anticipates getting its permit this week.

The Advertiser was unable to reach representatives of the other two firms, Idaho Waste Systems and Pacific Rim Environmental Resources.

Larry Lau, deputy director of the state Department of Health, said the city finds itself in a difficult place. "It may be good to have alternatives. The city doesn't have many right now," he said.

Mikulina and Curtis both argued that the government should be aggressively promoting reductions in the waste stream, more recycling and other options — before transporting trash.

Honolulu residents have been generating more and more trash in recent years, despite efforts to promote conservation, Mikulina said.

"In the past seven years, waste from households has increased 26 percent. Waste reduction is one of the first things we should do," he said. "Despite the landfill crunch, we're producing more waste than ever."

Lau said the state's policy on solid waste is that source reduction should be used first, followed by recycling and composting, with landfilling and incineration last.

The city is moving down at least one other track. It has issued a request for proposals for a new waste-to-energy plant, which would burn municipal solid waste. Takamura said the deadline for submitting proposals is July 30.

The city's HPower contractor, Covanta Honolulu Resource Recovery Venture, will be among the bidders, said its business manager, Rodney Smith. Its proposal could involve expanding the existing plant, or developing a new standalone facility, depending on what the city requires.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.