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. 1 ffTK r~~ M-f Panel OKs landfill appropriation A $10 million appropriation to close the Hilo landfill and to deal with the legal problems at the Puuanahulu landfill won preliminary approval from the County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday, Federal regulations require the county to close the Hilo landfill at the end of this year, although the county is asking for permission to keep the facility open at least until October 1998. About $7 million of the money is tentatively earmarked for clos- ing the landfill, and another $1.5 million is being set aside to allow the county to cope with landfill problems in West Hawaii. The state Supreme Court ruled in February the oounty contract with Waste Management of Hawaii Inc. to operate the Puuanahulu landfill is illegal. That decision could force the county to c1osC the Puuanahulu landfill. If that happens, the county may have [o haul 200 tons of garbage each day from West Hawaii to the Hilo landfill. The $1.5 million is earmarked help the county load and haul the trash if need be. County~Finance Director Harry Takahashi said some of that mon- ey may also be used to figure out a way to finally put out the stubborn fires that have been smoldering under the closed Kealakehe landfill. Another $500,000 is to be used to design a materials recovery facility to allow for mass recycling and to reduce the flow of recy- clable waste into [he county landfills.