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California Outlines 15 Steps To Eliminate Odors At Chiquita Canyon Landfill
A Google Maps images of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill area.
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Topline:
CalRecycle, the state department overseeing waste management and recycling has outlined 15 steps the Chiquita Canyon Landfill must take to address odors — described as a “sour milk rotting,” “sweet rotting fruit” and “rotten egg” smell — that residents have been complaining about since May.
Mitigation measures: Among the measures outlined on Wednesday, Waste Connections, the company that manages the landfill, must place a soil cover of around 24 inches in the area where a "heat smoldering event" is occurring deep within the landfill. This smoldering is believed to be the cause of the odors. Wells that are damaged or blocked or have gas temperatures above 145 degrees must also be replaced with steel wells.
An independent health consultant must also provide long and short term health implications of the odors by early next year.
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The Department of Public Health has given the landfill operator until Friday to respond with a mitigation plan.
Why it matters: Since May of this year, South Coast Air Quality Management District has been inundated with over 2000 complaints from residents Val Verde, Castaic and communities surrounding the Chiquita Canyon Landfill. It has resulted in a grant program for residents in the communities to be reimbursed for their utility expenses for some relief.
Climate change connection: Mark Pestrella, director at Los Angeles County Public Works, said they are still investigating if the combustion in the landfill is the result of the climate crisis.
“The landfills across L.A. County and across the state have seen an increase in odor incidents related to that [above average] rainfall or just management of drainage systems being needed to be upped,” he said.
The climate crisis, he added, has increased temperatures and resulted in less frequent but higher intensity rainfall.
“This does create a situation in which the landfills may be infiltrated with water at a rate higher than they normally had seen,” Pestrella said.
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