The city is extending a deadline to accept bids for a three-year contract to ship more than 100,000 tons of trash a year to landfills on the Mainland following requests from several bidders.

The deadline to submit a proposal was today, but city environmental services director Eric S. Takamura said an extension to June 14 would allow time for the remaining bidders to smooth out final offers while leaving a window open for potential last-minute entries.

Ten companies originally signaled interest but the number has fallen to three, Takamura said, speaking before the City Council's Planning and Sustainability Committee.

One of the companies competing for the contract had a financial partner back out and is seeking alternative financing. Another has inquired about the possibility of shipping trash and ash from the city's H-Power operation.

"From our perspective, we want to entertain as many bidders as we can to get the best price we can," Takamura said.

The city hopes to award a contract by the end of the summer that guarantees three years of service, and would like the service to start by the end of the year. All companies involved in the bidding have said they can start service three months after receiving the contract.

"It's to their advantage to get up and running as soon as possible," said city council member Gary H. Okino.

The city hopes that recycling more, and shipping some trash away, will stretch the life of the city's Waimanalo Gulch landfill, which recently received a permit from a state commission allowing the city operate until Nov. 1, 2009.

The city hopes to have a third H-Power boiler running by 2011.