Tag Archives: tonnage

New statistics show California landfill tonnage dropping yet again

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less_garbageCalifornians, for the seventh year in a row, are throwing away less and less garbage in landfills.

New statistics from the state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, also known as CalRecycle, shows that 29.3 million tons of trash were disposed statewide last year. That’s 4.3 pounds per day per person and a slight reduction from the 4.4 pounds per day per person in 2011 when 29.9 million tons were disposed. The population also increased from 37.4 million in 2011 to 37.7 million last year.

“Each incremental step in waste diversion puts the state closer to our goal of 75% recycling,” said CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen in a statement. “The public is doing its part by being conscious of what we throw out and thinking about recycling and reuse. We at CalRecycle will continue to do our part by supporting recycling businesses and other waste diversion infrastructure that create green jobs and help achieve our goal.”

Last year’s disposal decrease continues a downward trend started in 2005 when 42.5 million tons of waste were discarded, the state said.

The vast majority of waste, 99%, went to California landfills and about 1% was exported to out-of-state landfills, CalRecycle said.

December 23, 2011 – Ohio Landfill Settles with State EPA over Odor Violations (Waste and Recycling News)

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https://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/landfill/landfill-report.html?id=1324662602

An Ohio landfill has reached a settlement, including a $35,923 civil penalty, with the state regarding solid waste and odor violations.

Apex Environmental LLC, which operates a landfill in Amsterdam, Jefferson County, agreed to install and begin operating 23 landfill gas collection wells by the end of this year, according to the Ohio EPA.

Multiple inspections between October and December by the Ohio EPA and the Jefferson County General Health District detected odors emanating from the landfill. The gas wells are designed to control the odors.

State and county officials, in early October, also observed leachate breaching an area of the landfill and failure of a rain flap meant to contain the leachate, the Ohio EPA said. Apex, within two weeks, told the health district it had repaired the flap.

The landfill agreed to limit day tonnage to 6,500, down from 7,500, until odors have been eliminated for an extended period of time, the state said.

The Ohio EPA said Apex has worked with the agency to address the violations. Continue reading →

November 4, 2005 – Sunshine Canyon Landfill Needs a Sunset, Says POWER (ENN)

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https://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/16728

SANTA MONICA, California — The Sunshine Canyon landfill in the San Fernando Valley could expose residents in the region to more trash for a far longer period than they are being told, according to Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER), a coalition of environmental and labor groups dedicated to protecting residents of Southern California from the dangers of landfills. The community surrounding Sunshine Canyon should not be forced to bear the burdens of the landfill for longer than governmental reports previously represented.

A permit proposal for Sunshine Canyon, submitted by BFI/Allied Waste, will be considered at a hearing Thursday at the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission. Area residents should know that previous environmental documents stating that the facility has the capacity to receive 90 million tons and would close after about 26 years are unreliable. This is because there is no provision guaranteeing that the landfill will close when it receives 90 million tons or after 26 years. POWER is requesting that the Commission require a tonnage limit or closure date.

Sunshine Canyon could actually take in much more waste than 90 million tons, according to a new study prepared for the coalition by landfill engineer J.W. Spear, who has more than 25 years of experience in the waste management industry. The study found that 24 million to 57 million more tons of waste could go into the landfill, on top of the 90 million that has been projected.

“Mr. Spear’s credentials are impressive and the North Valley Coalition believes his conclusions support our contention that this landfill will be much larger than analyzed in the environmental documentation. Its impacts on the community, indeed the city and county as a whole, have not been adequately addressed,” said Wayde Hunter, President of the North Valley Coalition, which represents residents in the area of the landfill.

Because the tonnage determines the closure date of the landfill, this could mean that the landfill would operate far longer than the 26 years now estimated. There is no requirement that will force the landfill to close when 90 million tons have been deposited or when 26 years have elapsed.

“The North San Fernando Valley continues to suffer from the negative effects of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. The time has come to put an end to this environmentally polluting practice and start recovering our waste for beneficial use as described in my RENEW LA plan,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Greig Smith.

The POWER coalition includes the North Valley Coalition, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Law Foundation, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.