A truck rolls out from Olowalu to deliver Lahaina wildfire debris at the permanent landfill site at Puunene. The county said the standard procedure is to wet down the load and cover it with plastic sheeting. Photo courtesy Maui County

Air quality is being monitored and precautions are being taken to ensure the public’s safety as trucks carrying Lahaina wildfire debris move from West Maui to the Central Maui Landfill, according to Maui County and state health officials.

Maui County officials reported that air monitoring began a year ago while the debris was being taken from Lahaina to the temporary disposal site at Olowalu. Dust monitoring stations have been set up in Kihei and at the Puunene site.

The stations consist of real-time data-logging monitors and specialized equipment that draws air through sampling media contained within cartridges, which are then analyzed in a laboratory.

State health official Nancy Convard said the monitoring devices make sure the air does not exceed screening levels.

“None of those screening levels have been exceeded,” Convard said. “It’s all been good.”

Convard added that the debris is wetted before it’s rolled into heavy plastic wrapping, like a burrito, to keep the dust from escaping from it. The debris is then covered by a tarp.

According to the county, the debris has been evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health, and they found it does not pose a public health risk in its transport and placement at the permanent disposal site.

Debris cleared from 1,538 residential and commercial properties in Lahaina following the 2023 wildfires was temporarily stored at the Olowalu site as the county worked to find a permanent site. The county selected land adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill as the location in February.

In December, the county’s proposed acquisition of 79 acres was approved by the Maui County Council. In addition to debris storage, the land will be able to provide a decade of potential landfill capacity for the island’s future needs, according to the county.

The county reported that the primary potential hazards associated with moving fire debris include asbestos-containing materials, heavy metals and fugitive dusts that may contain minerals such as silica.

The materials were monitored for over a year during debris removal operations, and none were detected at levels above health concerns, the county said. Air monitoring will continue during the entire transfer operation, which is expected to continue through November.

For more, go to www.MauiRecovers.org/debristransfer.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Debris Hotline is (877) 214-9117.