Authorized and regulatory challenges at a number of U.S. landfills have superior this fall, together with discussions about website expansions in a number of states.
Right here’s a have a look at a few of the most notable developments in latest weeks:
Waste Connections ordered to make additional modifications at California website
The corporate’s Chiquita Canyon Landfill in California should adjust to further, stricter necessities to scale back odors which have been impacting close by residents for at a number of years, in line with native regulators.
The South Coast Air High quality Administration District Listening to Board issued an Order for Abatement on Nov. 13 that may require the landfill operator to increase air monitoring efforts, scale back tools downtime, enhance neighborhood entry to air high quality information, and scale back “spills, leaks, and the potential for tools failures.”
New necessities embody completely connecting landfill gasoline management tools to utility energy and emergency energy. AQMD says downtime shouldn’t be performed on greater than three of those models at a time. It additionally requires higher upkeep insurance policies that stop future downtime on the facility.
It additionally prohibits overfilling leachate assortment and storage tanks or liquid remedy tanks. Waste Connections may also have to submit a allow modification utility to AQMD by Jan. 31 to extend the landfill’s liquid storage capability, together with tanks and tools. It should submit one other utility for every hazardous and non-hazardous liquid remedy system.
Waste Connections already maintains a public web site with info and updates concerning the landfill. AQMD now requires a public web page for particular historic information corresponding to 24-hour time-integrated canister samples, steady hydrogen sulfide and methane monitoring information, in addition to hourly dimethyl sulfide and risky natural compounds readings for all air monitoring stations.
The Chiquita Canyon website continues to face 1000’s of odor complaints from residents and criticisms from some native officers. The landfill additionally faces quite a few notices of violations from different state and native regulators. Since January 2023, the AQMD says it has obtained greater than 25,000 complaints about odors and issued 42 public nuisance violations. Residents have tried to shut the landfill, however misplaced a latest courtroom battle on the difficulty.
The discover is the most recent in a collection of ongoing regulatory actions affecting the location in Castaic, California, associated to odor complaints that date again years. Waste Connections stated it has been working diligently to resolve the problems. In an Oct. 15 assertion the corporate stated it “totally acknowledges and regrets that neighboring communities are struggling odor-related impacts” and identified that it had offered about 1,700 air purifiers for native residents, in addition to carbon filtration units for colleges within the area.
Waste Connections has additionally raised considerations with Los Angeles County officers {that a} 2022 settlement settlement with the county, which is pending approval, received’t be applied. Jim Little, the corporate’s government vice chairman of engineering and disposal, stated in an October letter that this might trigger Chiquita Canyon to shut and create main waste administration and logistics points within the area.
Waste Connections says the phrases of its outdated conditional use allow from 2017 would reduce landfill capability in half beginning in January, however a 2022 settlement settlement had allowed for Waste Connections to just accept a “gradual step-down of tonnage” in change for closing the landfill 5 years early.
If that settlement falls by way of, it might “trigger cascading and everlasting damages to the strong waste assortment and administration infrastructure” for thousands and thousands of residents. About a million tons of waste would must be diverted to different locations, which might contain higher prices for haulers and contribute to air emissions, executives stated within the letter.
Waste Connections says few native landfills may deal with that quantity of waste, noting the January 2024 closure of the Southeast Useful resource Restoration Facility in Lengthy Seashore, a waste-to-energy facility that processed greater than 380,000 tons of waste a 12 months. The Olinda Alpha Landfill in Orange County is predicted to shut in December 2025, in line with the letter.
Maine DEP sued over landfill enlargement
The Penobscot Nation and the Conservation Legislation Basis have filed an attraction in opposition to the Maine Division of Environmental Safety in an effort to cease the enlargement of Juniper Ridge, a state-owned landfill operated by Casella Waste Methods.
The swimsuit comes after Maine DEP issued a favorable public profit dedication final month. That ruling, which says the venture is critical to fulfill state capability wants, was required for Casella to maneuver ahead with enlargement plans.
The landfill venture has lengthy been the topic of scrutiny from residents and advocacy teams that say the enlargement will hurt the setting. CLF and the Penobscot Nation argue of their attraction that the Maine DEP’s resolution was “unsupported by substantial proof.” They are saying that the enlargement would hurt communities in Penobscot County which can be thought of deprived and already face air pollution from different sources, in line with U.S. EPA information.
Penobscot tribal leaders say the power has launched chemical compounds into the Penobscot River, a waterway they contemplate sacred.
“The continued contamination from this landfill endangers that legacy and places the well being of our neighborhood in danger. We’re firmly opposing this dangerous enlargement to guard our water, setting, and historical past for future generations of the Penobscot Nation,” stated Penobscot Tribal Chief Kirk Francis in a assertion.
Jeff Weld, Casella’s vice chairman of communications, stated the attraction has brought about the unfold of “false narratives” concerning the landfill’s operations. “Casella has operated the Juniper Ridge Landfill on behalf of the State of Maine for 20 years with zero violations of state or federal rules,” he stated in an e mail.
Maine DEP’s ruling says the venture is “not inconsistent with making certain environmental justice for the neighborhood” so long as Casella agrees to a number of operational actions, corresponding to managing PFAS in leachate and hiring third-party consultants to conduct an odor evaluation. DEP has stated it isn’t in a position to touch upon pending litigation.
Juniper Ridge may increase by 61 acres, which might add 11.9 million cubic yards of further capability. The landfill is presently projected to achieve capability in 2028 and this might lengthen its lifespan by 11 years.
Know-how highlight
The additional price so as to add a geothermal liner to a broader $3 million landfill cell building venture in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
The county plans to make use of the power generated to energy a wastewater remedy system that may display screen for PFAS. The location presently treats upward of 6 million gallons of leachate per 12 months. The brand new remedy system is focused to open in 2026.
A landfill compactor pushes the primary load of waste into a brand new geothermal cell in St. Louis County, Minnesota, on Nov. 12, 2024.
Courtesy of St. Louis County Environmental Providers Division
Different information
- The Broward County Fee in Florida delayed a call till January about whether or not to permit an enlargement of WM’s Monarch Hills Landfill. Some residents in Coconut Creek are opposed, although a latest listening to additionally raised the potential for double-digit share assortment price will increase if the location shuts down. (TAPinto Coral Springs)
- Shawnee, Kansas, just lately prolonged WM’s particular use allow by one 12 months for the Johnson County Landfill. Extensions are usually for longer durations, however the landfill operator continues to be working to deal with points associated to odors and flaring. (Johnson County Publish)
- The Missouri Division of Pure Sources denied a preliminary proposal by Playing cards Recycling to website a landfill close to Granby, although an attraction is feasible. (KSN)
- The Maryland Division of Atmosphere just lately denied a allow request by Halle Cos. to construct a 9.3-million-cubic-yard landfill, citing public well being considerations. (WMAR)
- LFOD Northwoods has been speaking with New Hampshire regulators about doubtlessly buying and reopening the closed Dummer Yard Landfill. The 100-acre landfill, beforehand used for paper manufacturing waste, shut down in 1997 and has not been usually maintained. LFOD is a three way partnership between W. L. French Excavating Corp. and North-South Building Providers. (The Berlin Solar)
- Maui County, Hawai’i, entered right into a conditional settlement with a subsidiary of building firm Nan to amass almost 80 acres of land adjoining to the Central Maui Landfill for $4 million. The extra land can be used for particles from the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. (Maui Now)