KAPOLEI — Wai'anae Coast residents yesterday testified both for and against a plan by the city to keep open and expand the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill near Kahe Point beyond a scheduled Nov. 1 closure date.

About 17 people testified on the city's request to extend and expand the landfill before the state Land Use Commission.

Most of the speakers said they support the city's plan because they fear the alternative would be using an existing private dump in the heart of Nanakuli now used for construction and demolition waste.

A handful of others testified they oppose the city plan, arguing that fear of the second landfill shouldn't be a reason to grant the city the urban land use reclassification it is seeking.

The plan calls for doubling the size of the existing landfill and extending its life by 15 years.

No decision is expected until at least mid-summer.

City officials have warned that the city Department of Environmental Services will stop accepting waste at O'ahu's only municipal landfill if the plan is not approved.

Yesterday, more than a dozen Nanakuli residents said they fear that the city will turn to the private PVT landfill in their neighborhood as at least a temporary, stop-gap measure.

"We feel it is in the area's best interest to keep the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill operating to the full use of the site's acreage rather than have our island's opala come to our community of Nanakuli as the alternative where it will further impact our people and the homes surrounding the PVT Landfill," said Patty Teruya, chairwoman of the Nanakuli-Ma'ili Neighborhood Board. The board had voted 6-3 to support the city plan.

Beverly Munson, a Kapolei resident, said the city has foot-dragged on coming up with an alternative to the Waimanalo site for years and only made progress when a shutdown was threatened. "As long as you give them extension and expansion powers, they don't do anything," she said.

State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), and Rep. Maile Shimabukuro, D-4th (Wai'anae, Makaha, Makua), both attorneys, have been granted intervenor status in opposition to the city's plans.

Hanabusa said a number of residents opposed to the city's plan are scheduled to be called as official witnesses in the Land Use Commission proceeding and therefore could not testify yesterday.

She said she is skeptical the city would be able to use the PVT site because "it would have to go through a complete permitting process."