Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Maui County Council approved the proposed acquisition of 79 acres for a permanent disposal site and Central Maui Landfill expansion on Friday while passing bills amending the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for the acquisitions.

A plan to use 79 acres near the Central Maui landfill to dispose of waste from the August 2023 wildfires was approved by the Maui County Council on Dec. 13.

Resolutions authorizing the acquisitions of the parcels for a total of $4 million were adopted by the County Council on Nov. 26. At its meeting Friday, the County Council passed Bills 174, 175 and 176, amending the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to provide funding for the acquisition of the properties and the design and development of the permanent disposal site.

“We absolutely need it,” Council Chair Alice Lee said in an interview.

Mayor Richard Bissen said he was grateful for council members “moving expeditiously to approve this important acquisition.”

“Securing land is a significant step in protecting our environment and ensuring sustainable growth for generations,” Bissen said.

The agreement calls for a subsidiary of Nan Inc. to provide the county with 49 acres of former quarried land and 30 acres of land currently being quarried. The 30 acres would be available upon completion of quarrying activities.

According to the county, community members voiced strong support for designating the Central Maui Landfill as the permanent disposal site for disaster debris. A temporary debris storage area has been located at Olowalu.

The Maui County Department of Environmental Management is preparing to initiate the design and construction of the permanent disposal site.

Department Director Shane Agawa said the land will provide decades of capacity.

Founded in Honolulu in 1990, Nan Inc. has been involved in a number of large projects, including the $15.4 million expansion and improvement of the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex, home of the Rainbow Warrior football team, and the $78.9 million Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home in Kapolei.

In November 2023, Alexander & Baldwin Inc. sold the Grace Disposal Group, including A&B Quarries of Maui, to Nan Inc. for $57.5 million.

According to information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nan Inc. declared it had $1.78 billion in assets.

The Maui County Department of Environmental Management is preparing to initiate the design and construction of the permanent disposal site.