09/04/2026
Restored & ready for public use! Today we were thrilled to reopen the temporary debris site at Patsy T. Mink Central Oʻahu Regional Park (CORP) after it was utilized to help our North Shore neighbors impacted by March's devastating Kona Low storms.
Environmental Services Director Roger Babcock joined DPR staff, State Senator Danielle Bass, and Councilmember Matt Weyer at the former debris site, located near the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Ka Uka Boulevard, to mark the occasion and thank the community for its patience during the restoration process. To show the grounds were once again safe for passive recreational use, the attendees enjoyed time passing footballs, frisbee, and soccer on the refurbished turf.
A portion of the park was designated as a temporary debris storage site under emergency proclamations following flooding that impacted Oʻahu in March 2026. This designation was in line with the City’s Disaster Debris Management and Operation Plan, published in April 2025. Over 18 days, roughly 3,000 tons of storm debris was deposited at the park site where it was sorted and transported to Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill and various recyclers.
The City applied environmental protections throughout the operation including filter socks to prevent runoff, temporary dust fencing and 24/7 monitoring.
An independent lab tested the soil before and after cleanup and found no harmful contaminants, meeting all Department of Health requirements. Crews then graded the site with clean soil, repaired the irrigation system and reseeded the area with grass.
A website dedicated to the temporary debris site, with more information about testing results, is available at: honolulu.gov/env/TDSR
With the removal of the temporary fencing, the full park area is now safe and open for public use. Mahalo again to the Waipi‘o and Central O‘ahu communities for their patience and understanding during this whole, roughly six-month process.
