Dec. 31, 2022, was supposed to have been the deadline to pick a site for Oahu’s new landfill, with the 34-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei scheduled to close by 2028. However, in December, the city asked for a two-year extension, until Dec. 31, 2024.

Well … the extension may or may not be granted, but one thing’s sure: A decision on that request won’t come before late February 2024, allowing for a de facto 14-month reprieve. After the city’s extension request was disputed, the Honolulu Planning Commission conducted a contested case hearing, which has lasted this long — so far.