CIWMB’s Solid Waste Information System (SWIS) number: 31-AA-0560
Site Information per
Landfill Facility Compliance Study (Task 2)Information Source: Owner/Operator (Placer County)
Telephone conversations: April 12, 2004 and April 13, 2004
E-mail responses: April 16, 2004 and May 14, 2004
The landfill is owned by Placer County and was operated by a private
company, Eastern Regional Landfill, Inc. The operator still runs the
onsite transfer station. The landfill gas collection system is operated
by another contractor, SCS Field Services, Inc.
The Eastern Regional Landfill is presently closed. An enhanced
prescription cover including an extra foot of vegetative soil was placed
over the landfill in Fall 1998. As required by the Lahontan Regional
Water Quality Control Board, the extra one foot of vegetative soil was
placed as an insulating layer to minimize the effect of freeze-thaw
cycles on the clayey barrier soil layer.
Tritium, gross beta radiation, and uranium were detected in an
up-gradient monitoring well. Only tritium exceeded the maximum
contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water.
The owner constructed a groundwater cut-off trench up-gradient of the
landfill. This action was suggested by the RWQCB but not required
through any type of enforcement action. The owner also constructed a
series of French drains to collect leachate under Landfill Area B. These
drains discharge to the local public wastewater treatment facility.
While the construction of these drains was not required by the RWQCB,
the owner felt they would provide added environmental protection.
Experience at this site has demonstrated that interpretation of
monitoring data can be complex. While not directly a result of confusing
regulations, the complexity of the groundwater conditions has made
agreement regarding the interpretation of laboratory data difficult.
The existing landfill gas collection system was installed because the
emissions estimated in the design capacity report exceed 50 million
grams per year, and because the site was experiencing high methane
emissions through the cover. There have never been any gas exceedances
at the property boundary, and there have never been any regulatory
orders issued requiring construction of the gas collection system.
County staff members have been proactive at this site with regard to
compliance issues. There has been a good working relationship between
the county, the operator, and the regulators, which has aided in the
site’s good compliance history.
Information Source: Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board
Telephone conversation: April 7, 2004
E-mail response: April 27, 2004
Since 1993, the site has been regulated under individual waste discharge
requirements (WDR) under Board Order No. 6-93-55, as amended by the
region-wide WDRs in Board Order No. 6-93-100. The site recently
completed final closure activities and closure status was approved by
the CIWMB and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. The
regional water quality control board (RWQCB) is scheduled to issue
revised WDRs for the site in May 2004 to reflect the closed status of
the site. Closure included the construction of an enhanced prescriptive
cover with an extra foot of cover soil. Considering the landfill is
unlined and in close proximity to the Truckee River, the owner agreed to
this enhanced system.
In the late 1970s, the owner constructed a groundwater interceptor
trench up-gradient of the landfill. The trench is up to 40 feet deep and
diverts groundwater away from the landfill. In addition, the owner
constructed a series of French drains under the northern landfill mound
to collect leachate. The collected liquid is directed into the local
public water treatment system. The owner constructed these drains on its
own accord without being required to do so by the RWQCB. The older
southern mound did not include any provisions for leachate collection.
The owner has demonstrated a proactive stance regarding monitoring and
environmental protection at the site. As such, the RWQCB has not needed
to expend much effort enforcing the requirements at this site.
There have been some detections of inorganic constituents in the
groundwater monitoring network, and the owner undertook a thorough
hydrogeologic and hydrochemical study of the site in 2002. The results
indicated that the hydrogeologic conditions are more complex than
originally thought, but the owner was able to determine that there was
no release from the landfill and that geologic variability accounts for
the minor inorganic statistical anomalies that had been a concern.
Relative to difficulties in application of the regulations, the RWQCB
pointed out one issue in following the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
The CFR does not allow for field-filtering groundwater samples collected
at landfills. Experience at the Eastern Regional Landfill shows that
following the CFR requirements may result in erroneous ground water
quality values. Groundwater samples from Eastern Regional Landfill are
now filtered at the laboratory in order to measure dissolved metals. A
comparison of total and dissolved metals (in other words, unfiltered and
filtered samples) from all monitoring wells will be conducted for two
years before changing to dissolved metals only. The State Water
Resources Control Board regulations, located in Title 27 of the
California Code of Regulations (CCR), are
silent on this issue.
In 2003, there was a statewide radioactive material initiative at MSW
landfills. As part of the monitoring program for this initiative,
tritium and total beta radiation was detected in a monitoring well
up-gradient from the Eastern Regional Landfill. The property up-gradient
of the landfill is unoccupied timberland. The cause of the detection is
unknown.
Since the beginning of the study period (January 1, 1998), the owner has
not been required to conduct a corrective action program (CAP) or come
under a water-related cleanup and abatement order (CAO).
Information Source: Enforcement Agency (Placer County
Department of Health and Human Services)
Telephone conversation: April 8, 2004
There have been no landfill gas- or surface water-related problems at
this site since the beginning of the study period (January 1, 1998). No
gas- or surface water-related protection measures beyond the regulatory
minimums have been implemented at this site, and none of the regulations
have proven to be overly difficult, costly, or confusing to implement.
The enforcement agency (EA) stated that the Eastern Regional Landfill
has proven to be a fairly simple site to regulate, and the RWQCB has
historically taken an active role.
Information Source: Placer County Air Pollution Control District
Telephone conversation: April 7, 2004
E-mail response: April 27, 2004
The air pollution control district (APCD) has not issued any notices to
comply or violations since the beginning of the study period (January 1,
1998). The site has an active landfill gas collection system with a
flare that was installed over nine years ago, which has a permit to
operate (PTO) from the APCD. Because of its small size, the landfill is
not required to have a Title V permit. The APCD has not received any
complaints from the public regarding the flare or odor. There have been
no air quality regulations that have been too difficult, costly, or
confusing to implement at the site. The owner’s staff assigned to the
landfill has been proactive in complying with air regulations and permit
requirements and has provided reports well in advance of due dates.
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