State Aids San Jose in Old Landfill Repairs: Funds will Help Protect Homes, and the Environment

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board approved a $750,000 matching grant to the City of San Jose to assist with the $1.5 million in repairs on the closed Martin Park Landfill, near downtown San Jose.

"We are committed to working with local agencies and pooling our resources to protect public health, safety, and the environment," said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. "Theses grant funds will help address the communities concerns and help mitigate the landfill methane gas migration."

The Martin Park landfill operated from 1970 until 1974, and closed prior to the enactment of State regulations that require solid waste disposal site owners/operators to establish a closure and postclosure maintenance funding process.

In mid-2005, elevated methane concentrations were detected by several monitoring probes at the site. The City subsequently submitted a work plan to further investigate the extent of the gas problem, and began weekly monitoring of crawlspaces of several adjacent residences as a precautionary measure to ensure those homes were not at risk of high levels of methane gas.

The City of San Jose requested the Board matching grant to bring the Martin Park Landfill site into compliance with current requirements. The estimated total project cost is $1.5 million and will include the installation of a landfill gas interceptor trench and vapor barrier to prevent further off-site gas migration. The Local Enforcement Agency has determined the proposed gas control system will be an effective and safe measure for the long-term protection of the community surrounding the landfill site and has approved the City's proposal.

The CIWMB matching grant is available from the Board’s Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program. The program addresses cleanup of solid waste disposal and codisposal sites where the responsible party either cannot be identified or is unable or unwilling to pay for a timely remediation and where cleanup is needed to protect public health and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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