CIWMB’s Solid Waste Information System (SWIS) number: 15-AA-0150
Site Information per
Landfill Facility Compliance Study (Task 2)Information Source: Owner/Operator—U.S. Air Force
E-mail responses: March 22, 2004, March 23, 2004, and May 11, 2004
The owner has received area of concern (AOC) notifications for not
meeting minimum landfill gas-related standards (Title 27, California
Code of Regulations [27 CCR], section 20919.5—Explosive Gases). The
enforcement agency (EA) wrote the first landfill gas AOC on October 30,
2000, for high levels of methane gas measured in July 2000 from wells
04-LGF01 and 04-LGF05. The wells are located in waste cells or in close
proximity to waste cells. The owner received additional notifications in
subsequent months until the AOC was officially resolved on January 30,
2001.
According to the January 30, 2001, inspection report, gas monitoring was
occurring at the time of the July 2000 inspection, and bore hole punches
were to have been completed at the perimeter of the landfill. The owner
is now monitoring methane gas in the perimeter gas wells and no longer
in the wells that are either in or in close proximity to waste cells.
This AOC never became a violation report; therefore, no enforcement
action was required.
The owner stated that there are no components of the landfill
regulations that are keeping this site from meeting the gas control
performance requirements. The most important lesson learned from this
site’s landfill gas experiences is that landfill gas should be monitored
from the proper set of wells, in accordance with regulatory requirements
to avoid compliance issues.
The site has not been required to conduct a corrective action program
(CAP) and has not been issued a water-related cleanup and abatement
order (CAO) since the beginning of the study period (January 1, 1998).
No additional groundwater protection measures have been implemented at
the site. The owner indicated that another landfill associated with
Edwards Air Force Base (the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), not
the main base sanitary landfill, is currently responding to groundwater
impacts.
There have been no reported surface water AOCs or violations for
leachate control, and no enforcement actions issued for drainage/erosion
control, and the owner has not implemented additional protection
measures for these aspects beyond the regulatory minimums.
Information Source: Enforcement Agency—Kern County Environmental Health
Services Department
Voice mail message: March 25, 2004
Telephone conversation: April 2, 2004
E-mail response: April 8, 2004
The EA has not found gas or surface water regulations overly difficult,
costly, or confusing at this site. A gas violation dated October 30,
2000 was abated by January 30, 2001. The gas hits were in monitoring
wells located within the refuse area. The owner abandoned and relocated
these wells.
Regarding surface water, there was a major, very intense storm with
winds up to 70 miles per hour that lasted on and off for three days,
beginning August 26, 2003. The storm caused erosion rills about 12
inches deep on the intermediate slopes despite the drainage control
structures that were in place. An AOC was issued. The owner corrected
the erosion within a month or so. The EA believes the owner may have
used shredded green waste or wood on the intermediate slopes to
mitigate/stabilize slopes against future erosion.
While not related to Edwards AFB, the EA commented that what constitutes
erosion is often subjective and owners and regulators do not always
agree when and if there is a need to spend money to remedy the erosion
problem.
Information Source: Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan
Region
E-mail response: April 6 and April 30, 2004
This site is conducting a corrective action program (CAP) under a
federal facilities agreement (FFA). No orders (such as a CAO) have been
issued because the owner is conducting the work related to the CAP under
an FFA. Groundwater impact was identified when groundwater levels rose
into the landfill and was detected by monitoring wells. This problem was
identified in 1998 and corrected by excavation and redisposal of
materials. The material was removed from the exposed cell.
Additional groundwater monitoring wells have been installed beyond the
regulatory minimums to clarify the groundwater flow direction in the
vicinity of the site and the existence of a nearby fault.
The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)†— requirement
to sample automatically for all “Appendix IX”‡ contaminants of concern (COC)
if any release occurs from the facility has been overly difficult and
costly at this site. In addition, in regard to this site, the owner and
the RWQCB have had difficulty arriving at a consistent interpretation of
27 CCR, section 20415(e)(12)(B) regarding post-sampling purging.
Information Source: Kern County Air Pollution Control District
E-mail response: April 27, 2004
The landfill at Edwards AFB has a Kern County air pollution control
district (APCD) permit (#0131019) and has been inspected by APCD staff.
The most recent inspection was December 18, 2003, and the site is in
compliance with the conditions on that permit.
†Title
40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR), Subtitle C, Part 264,
Subpart F
‡Appendix IX to 40 CFR,
Subtitle C, Part 264: “Ground-Water Monitoring List 1” List of Landfills
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