Solid Waste Facility Technical Services

Paleontologic Resources of Landfills

Paleontology

Operating a landfill can result in unexpected surprises, which can result in expensive delays. Fossils are commonly found in many landfills in California, primarily in Southern California.

An example in northern California at Fairmead Landfill created shock, delays and, ultimately, solutions and discoveries. Significant finds and new species are being discovered in 30 of California's landfills, yielding new data.

Landfills, as well as many other large excavation projects, can provide a significant avenue for paleontological research throughout California. The nature of these projects allows for large-scale removal of earth materials, which would otherwise be unavailable to the paleontological research community. Landfills are located in every region of California (map), (SWIS). This wide dispersal of landfills provides opportunities for excavations in every geologic province of the state.

Operators of landfills have a goal; to develop a landfill and have it operational to receive waste as quickly as possible. Part of the permit review process includes the assurance of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which addresses the potential impacts a project may impart on the environment. CEQA mandates that archaeological and paleontological impacts of a project be addressed and that a project be suspended until a qualified paleontologist or archaeologist is called in to evaluate or assess the find.

A standard, effective protocol for personnel contact and the appraisal, removal, and storage of fossil remains is needed. This protocol will prove beneficial to the research community and improve compliance with the mandates of CEQA. A standard protocol also will allow operators to resume construction excavation quickly, possibly while fossil retrieval is being conducted on site.

For more on landfills and paleontology and some species diversities uncovered, see:

• The Importance of Landfills on Paleontologic Resources And The Need for Expediting the Recovery of Fossils (Adobe PDF, 385 KB | Word, 2.7 MB), by Jacques Graber
• Paleontology in Major Construction Projects, Engineering Geology Practice in Northern California AEG Bulletin 210, Spec. Pub 12, 2001

Slide Show

• The Importance of Landfills on Paleontologic Resources And The Need for Expediting the Recovery of Fossils (Power Point, 2.7 MB; Adobe PDF, 604 KB; or Text Outline, 13 KB)

Case Studies

• Fairmead Landfill (20-AA-0002)

Contacts

Southern California Consultants

Sherri Gust
Cogstone Resource Management Inc.
1801 E. Parkcourt Pl., Bldg. B, Suite 102
Santa Ana, CA 92701
1-888-497-0700
(714) 245-0264
(714) 245-0054 fax
sgust@cogstone.com

Dr. Paul Murphy
SWCA
(949) 770-8042

Mark A. Roeder
1731 New Hampshire Dr.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 241-8880
maroeder1731@aol.com

Eric Scott
San Bernardino County Museum
(909) 307-2669, Ext. 241
escott@sbcm.co.san-bernardino.ca.us

San Diego Natural History Museum
Tom Demeree', Paleontologist
P.O. Box 1390
San Diego, CA 92112
(619) 232-3821 Ext 232
tdemeree@sdnhm.org

Paleo Solutions (Adobe PDF, 190 KB)
2035 Placentia Ave, Suite D
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

• Ms. Geraldine Aron, Principal
  (562) 818-7713
  geraldine@paleosolutions.com
• Mr. Scott Armstrong, Principal
  (949) 813-1240
  scott@paleosolutions.com

Northern California Consultants

Lanny Fisk, PhD, RG
F&F Resource Consultants
(916) 339-9594
fiskal@hotmail.com
fiskla1@earthlink.net

Colleges/Museums
Frank L. DeCourten
Sierra College
(916) 789-2708
decourten_fr@email.sierra.cc.us

University of California Museum of Paleontology
Mark Goodwin
(510) 642-1821
mark@berkeley.edu

San Joaquin Valley Paleontology Foundation
P.O. Box 849
Chowchilla, CA 93610
(209) 665-7107

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Last updated: April 18, 2008