Conditional Use Permit for Chiquita Canyon Landfill

SUMMARY OF KEY COMMUNITY PROTECTIONS AND BENEFITS

in the County’s Conditional Use Permit for the

Chiquita Canyon Landfill Expansion Project

June 27, 2017 

COMMUNITY PROTECTIONS

Immediate Cessation of Operations (Condition 13)

• Provides authority to order the immediate cessation of landfill operations when necessary to protect the health, safety, and/or welfare of residents or the environment

Graffiti Abatement (Condition 20)

• Requires the operator to keep structures, walls, and fences that are visible to the public free of graffiti

Tonnage Capacity (Condition 21)

• Sets maximum daily, average daily, monthly, and annual limits on all incoming solid waste and beneficial use materials deposited at the landfill
• For the first 7 years, requires the operator to operate under a restricted tonnage capacity of 2,800,000 tons/year and 233,333 tons/month
• For the remainder of the permit life, restricts the tonnage capacity to 1,800,000 tons/year and 150,000 tons/month

Household Hazardous Waste Facility (Conditions 24, 25, and 122)

• Allows the operation of an HHW collection facility (environmental collection center) to serve the public in nearby communities
• In lieu of paying for 5 of the 10 household hazardous waste collection events per year required under Condition 122, the operator may choose to fund the siting, development, operation, and staffing of an environmental collection center at the site or other location in unincorporated Santa Clarita Valley

Organic Waste Composting Facility (Condition 26)

• Requires enclosure of the proposed organic waste composting facility to control odors and prevent odor nuisance

Periodic Review (Condition 35)

• Requires periodic review of the permit at the 10^th, 15^th, 20^th, and 25^th anniversaries of the effective date of the permit to consider new or changed circumstances in the landfill operation that might impact the community

Operating Hours (Condition 38)

• During the first 7 years of landfill operations, restricts facility operations to 3:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, and the acceptance of solid waste and beneficial use materials only between the hours of 4:00 am to 5:00 pm
• For the remainder of the permit life, restricts facility operations to 4:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, and the acceptance of solid waste and beneficial use materials only between the hours of 5:00 am to 5:00 pm
• The facility shall be closed on Sundays

Termination Requirements (Condition 36)

• Sets a firm term life and termination requirement
• Restricts the life of the permit based on site capacity of 60 million tons, maximum elevation of 1,430 feet or 30 years, whichever occurs first

Prohibited Materials (Condition 46-48)

• Prohibits the acceptance of materials such as automobile shredder waste, biosolids, sewage sludge, incinerator ash, radioactive material, and hazardous waste at the site

Surface Water Monitoring (Condition 50)

• Requires the operator to conduct surface water monitoring at the facility, publish the results on its website, and provide the results to the Community and Technical Advisory Committees

Groundwater Protection (55-58)

• Requires the operator to install and maintain a dual liner system to prevent groundwater contamination that might affect groundwater quality, water conveyance, or water storage facilities
• Requires the operator to conduct water quality monitoring at the facility publish the results on its website, and provide the results to the Community and Technical Advisory Committees

Landscaping and Aesthetic Requirements (Condition 59)

• Requires the operator to maintain a landscape strip along the frontage of the facility along Wolcott Way and along SR-126
• Protects the view shed from the Chiquito Canyon Road for the life of the project
• Requires a tree planting and maintenance plan for the entire western boundary of the site
• Restricts any portion of the landfill from extending above and outside the surface area of the approved landfill design shown on Exhibit “A”

Air Quality Monitoring and Community Health Assessment (Condition 61, 63, 64, and 66-71)

• Requires the operator to implement operational practices to mitigate air quality impacts including but not limited to odor, dust and vehicular air quality impacts at the facility
• Measures include:
  • Continuous air quality monitoring in Val Verde, nearby centers of employment, and schools within a 5-mile radius of the landfill and install air monitoring stations;
  • Hiring an independent consultant with the ability to test air quality, have the results analyzed by a qualified lab, and recommend changes to the landfill operations to prevent impacts to the health and safety of the nearby residents and businesses
• Requires the operator to conduct surface monitoring and ambient air sampling at the landfill, review haulers’ vehicle emissions records.
• Requires the operator to publish the results on its website and provide the results to the Community and Technical Advisory Committees
• Requires the operator to fund a Community Health Assessment Study of the communities surrounding the landfill, including schools, to be conducted by the Department of Public Health

Odor Monitoring and Reporting (Condition 72)

• Requires the operator to prepare an Odor Impact Minimization Plan that includes clear and enforceable measures to control odor emissions and share the information with the Community and Technical Advisory Committees

Traffic & Road Improvements (Conditions 73-79)

• Requires the operator to implement measures to reduce traffic impacts to the community by:
  • Implementing programs to reduce traffic on roadways
  • Discouraging unnecessary truck trips
  • Prohibiting queuing on public streets and rights-of-way
  • Relocating the existing entrance to Wolcott Way with sufficient queuing distance
  • Establishing a predetermined hauling route

Also, requires the operator to contribute monies toward road and traffic improvements in the surrounding communities

Litter Control and Recovery (Conditions 80-85)

• Requires operator to implement measures to control, monitor and recover litters escaping the site
• Extends the recovery area from Chiquito Canyon Road, SR 126, Wolcott Way, Franklin Parkway, and other feeder roads to the entrance to Val Verde at Rancho Aviles and the surrounding area within 100 feet of the centerline of the road or to any existing fence on private property

Free Quarterly Clean-up Events (Condition 108)

• Requires the operator to provide four free quarterly clean-up days to residents of the community of Val Verde and Castaic

End Use of the Landfill Site (Condition 109)

• Requires the operator to designate the site as open space for recreational use upon closure of the landfill
• Requires the operator to prepare a park implementation plan for the primary canyon (closed portion) of the site and a park master plan
• Requires the operator to provide funds towards the planning and development of the park at the primary canyon

Community Information/inquiries (Condition 125-128)

• Requires the operator to maintain outreach programs (such as sign posting, hotline, log, website) to provide information about the facility’s recycling activities and programs, environmental mitigation measures, and how to file complaints
• Requires the operator to provide at least one emergency contact person, with sufficient expertise to assess the need for remedial action to promptly respond to complaints from the surrounding neighborhood regarding dust, litter, odor, air quality, and other operational issues
• Requires the operator to designate an Ombudsman to be available 24 hours per day to respond to complaints