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September 7, 2023
DIAMOND BAR – Yesterday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Hearing Board approved an Order for Abatement that will require the Chiquita Canyon Landfill to take actions to reduce odors from the landfill that have impacted the community.
The Chiquita Canyon Landfill is a landfill/solid waste disposal facility located at 29201 Henry Mayo Dr., in Castaic, California. So far in 2023, South Coast AQMD has received over 2,100 odor complaints that agency investigators traced back to the landfill and has issued approximately 60 Notices of Violations (NOVs) against Chiquita Canyon for public nuisance in violation of the agency’s Rule 402 and California Health & Safety Code Section 41700.
As a result of its investigation, South Coast AQMD found that the landfill gas contained elevated levels of dimethyl sulfide which its gas treatment system is currently not designed to remove. The underlying cause has been found to be caused by a subsurface chemical reaction.
Through the Hearing Board’s order, South Coast AQMD will require Chiquita Canyon to pursue actions to reduce odors, including requiring the facility to investigate the cause of the chemical reaction and to take interim steps to reduce the impact to the community until a final solution is achieved that eliminates to odors. The Chiquita Canyon facility will be required to:
Conduct odor surveillance at least twice daily during operating hours at 32 locations around the landfill until a three-week period passes without receiving an NOV. If South Coast AQMD issues a subsequent NOV, odor surveillance would resume.
Maximize the use of specified landfill gas flares for combustion of landfill gases, with requirements to sample, analyze, record and report compounds combusted in each flare.
Submit a monthly written report on the landfill operation, landfill gas flares and treatment system and efforts to resolve the total sulfur concentration in the landfill gas.
Organize a committee of experts to investigate and find the cause and solution to the subsurface chemical reaction causing the elevated levels of sulfur and report to South Coast AQMD detailing the findings by April 30, 2024.
Expand its gas well system and continue to evaluate and install extraction wells to collect both landfill gas and leachate and monitor each gas collection system at least monthly for temperature.
Visually inspect the landfill cover each operating day and making needed repairs and installing a geosynthetic cover to limit the migration of landfill gas from the site.
Maintain trash odor mitigation efforts by using fans, odor neutralizing misting systems; using proper hauling sequencing and cover; and providing regular training to staff on odor control.
Maintain and update on a weekly basis an odor mitigation section on its website at https://chiquitacanyon.com/reports/odor-mitigation/, including providing Spanish translation.
South Coast AQMD’s Stipulated Order for Abatement was granted by the South Coast AQMD Hearing Board. The Hearing Board is an independent panel that hears all sides of a case, weighs the evidence, and reaches a decision. A status hearing will be held on January 16, 2024, or as soon after as it can be scheduled with the Hearing Board.
