PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL ANNUAL REPORT November 2011

PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL
ANNUAL REPORT
November 2011
COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
STEPHEN R. MAGUIN
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GENERAL MANAGER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. i
SECTION 1. WASTE DISPOSAL QUANTITIES ........................................................................... 1
SECTION 2. LANDFILL CONTOURS ............................................................................................ 1
SECTION 3. WASTE WEIGHT TO VOLUME RATIO ................................................................ 1
SECTION 4. SUMMARY OF WASTE RECEIVED ....................................................................... 1
SECTION 5. WASTE DIVERSION ACTIVITIES .......................................................................... 1
SECTION 6. SUMMARY OF COMPLAINTS ................................................................................ 3
SECTION 7. SUMMARY OF NOTICES OF VIOLATION ........................................................... 3
SECTION 8. INTERIM AND FINAL FILL REVEGETATION.................................................... 3
SECTION 9. ARCHAEOLOGICAL/PALEONTOLOGICAL MONITORING........................... 4
SECTION 10. WASTE-BY-RAIL ....................................................................................................... 5
SECTION 11. ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ........................................................................ 7
SECTION 12. TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS PURSUANT TO CONDITION NO.
45 ............................................................................................................................................................ 8
SECTION 13. MINIMIZATION OF TRUCK TRAFFIC PURSUANT TO CONDITION NO. 45
................................................................................................................................................................ 9
TABLE OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: Site Maps Showing Areas of Landfilling Operations
APPENDIX 2: Exhibit of Landfill Field Survey Data
APPENDIX 3: Summary of Waste Received, Disposed, Recycled, or Otherwise Diverted
APPENDIX 4: Quarterly Reports on the Development of a Waste-By-Rail System and the
Evaluation of Alternative Technologies
APPENDIX 5: Draft Annual Report Recipient List
APPENDIX 6: Draft Annual Report Comments and Responses
APPENDIX 7: “As Built” Diagrams
INTRODUCTION
This monitoring report is being submitted in compliance with Part IX of the Implementation and
Monitoring Program for Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 02-027-(4) issued by the Los Angeles County
Department of Regional Planning for the Puente Hills Landfill. As required by the permit, the report includes
the following information:
1.
A cumulative total of all waste deposited in the landfill, the percent of total available volume
consumed, the remaining disposal capacity in volume and in tons, and a site map/plan showing the
sequence of landfilling operations;
2.
A copy of the most recent landfill survey showing the height and extent of the refuse fill area;
3.
The achieved ratio of weight to volume of waste placed in the landfill and a comparison of that ratio
with the ratio achieved at comparable landfills with an explanation of any significant deviation;
4.
A summary of the rates of waste received, disposed, recycled at the landfill or sent offsite for further
handling/processing, in sufficient detail to explain significant changes and variations over time and an
explanation of any significant variation or changes;
5.
A summary of measures undertaken by the Districts to divert and recycle materials at the landfill, and
how such measures interact with waste management plans adopted by cities and the County;
6.
A summary of the number and character of litter, noise, fugitive dust and odor complaints received in
the reporting period, the disposition of such complaints, and any new or additional measures that have
been undertaken to abate or address future complaints;
7.
A detailed accounting of any citations for violations received from any regulatory agency in
connection with operation of the landfill and the disposition of the citations, including any penalties
assessed and fees paid;
8.
A report on interim and final fill revegetation;
9.
Archaeological and paleontological reports prepared since the last annual report;
10.
A summary of measures taken by the Sanitation Districts to pursue and expedite the development of
the proposed waste-by-rail system;
11.
A summary of the measures taken toward promoting and implementing alternative technologies that
may be most appropriate for Southern California from an environmental and economic perspective;
12.
A summary of the measures taken by the Sanitation Districts with regard to transportation
improvements in the surrounding areas of the landfill;
13.
A summary of the measures taken by the Sanitation Districts with regard to minimizing truck traffic.
Except where noted, the information contained herein covers the time period of July 1, 2010 through
June 30, 2011.
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SECTION 1. WASTE DISPOSAL QUANTITIES
The cumulative total of all waste deposited in the landfill, since the Districts began operations in 1970,
as of June 30, 2011 is approximately 119.3 million tons. The landfill was operated by San Gabriel Valley
Dump between 1958 and 1970. During that time, the landfill received approximately 6.5 million tons of waste.
The landfill received approximately 24.3 million tons of refuse since starting operation under the
current CUP No. 02-027-(4), between November 1, 2003 and June 30, 2011. At the time this CUP was
approved, a historic in-place density factor of 0.55 tons of compacted solid waste per cubic yard of air space
was used to determine the remaining permitted capacity of the Puente Hills Landfill. Using this density factor,
approximately 59.6% or 44.1 million cubic yards have been filled, out of the 74 million cubic yards available
under the currently permitted final fill plan. The associated remaining capacity under the CUP is 29.63 million
cubic yards or 16.3 million tons.
A map of the area of landfill operations during July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 and projected area
of landfill operations for July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 are located in Appendix 1.
SECTION 2. LANDFILL CONTOURS
A copy of the most recent landfill survey showing the height and extent of fill has been included as
Appendix 2. The base topographic map is dated May 2011. The field survey data was collected in July 2011.
SECTION 3. WASTE WEIGHT TO VOLUME RATIO
The ratio of waste weight to total volume that has been placed at the landfill is calculated by dividing
actual tonnage of disposed waste by the total air volume filled (space occupied by compacted refuse fill, daily
cover, intermediate cover, berms, final cover, and soils used for liner cover) based on topographic maps. The
observed, historical conversion factor for the Puente Hills Landfill averages 0.55 tons of compacted solid waste
per cubic yard of air space. The calculation is provided below:
Weight of refuse disposed (in tons)
Volume of air space (cubic yards)
=
97.5 x106 tons
177.8 x 106 cubic yards
= 0.55 tons/cubic yard
The ratios at other comparable landfills are as follows: Calabasas Landfill, 0.44 tons per cubic yard;
and Scholl Canyon Landfill, 0.49 tons per cubic yard.
SECTION 4. SUMMARY OF WASTE RECEIVED
A summary of the rates of waste received, recycled or otherwise diverted at the landfill is shown in
Appendix 3.
SECTION 5. WASTE DIVERSION ACTIVITIES
The Districts are committed to supporting cities in their continuing efforts to achieve the waste
diversion goals of AB 939, the California Integrated Waste Management Act. The waste diversion activities
undertaken at Puente Hills Landfill are discussed below.
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Asphalt
An asphalt recovery program has been in place at Puente Hills Landfill for many years.
Asphalt is compacted and reused as road base or as base for winter deck operating areas.
Approximately 252,500 tons of asphalt were recovered and reused during the period of
July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
Treated Ash
The Puente Hills Landfill accepts treated ash from both the Commerce Refuse-to-Energy
Facility and the Southeast Resource Recovery Facility. Treated ash from these facilities has
been classified as non-hazardous and is used as a road base for winter deck operating areas at
the landfill. Approximately 181,900 tons of ash were recycled during the period of
July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
Christmas Tree Recycling Program
Since 1990, the Districts have conducted a Christmas Tree Recycling Program, which is
available to cities and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. After registering in the
program, each city or its hauler takes the trees to a designated area of Districts’ landfills where
the trees are shredded and used as part of the green waste daily cover program or, where
appropriate, used as mulch. During the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011,
approximately 340,345 Christmas trees (or 3,403 tons) were recycled at the landfill.
Green Waste Recovery
Green waste represents a significant portion of the residential waste stream. Diversion of this
material to a beneficial reuse continues to be an important program at the Puente Hills
Landfill for conserving use of onsite soil for cover, for conserving landfill capacity, and for
supporting cities= efforts to achieve AB 939 waste diversion goals. Currently, over 75 cities
participate in the Puente Hills Landfill’s green waste program to meet state-mandated waste
diversion goals.
After processing, the green waste is either used to meet a portion of the daily and intermediate
cover material requirement, for compost, or for weed and erosion control. Approximately
285,100 tons of green waste (including Christmas trees) were recycled on-site during the
period of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. No green waste was hauled off site for
beneficial use during this period.
Metallic Discards
The Districts implemented a metallic discard recycling program at the landfill in 1992. Large
metallic items, such as household appliances, are diverted to a separate area of the landfill.
Any refrigerant present in appliances is removed and recycled for use in Districts-operated
equipment. The metallic discards are removed from the site by a qualified metal salvager and
taken to a facility for recycling. Approximately 115 tons of metallic discards were recycled
from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
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Electronics
As part of the hazardous waste inspection program, electronic waste is removed from the
waste stream, rerouted to the Puente Hills MRF, and is then picked up by a permitted
contracted recycler who recycles more than 95% of the electronic waste. Monitors and
televisions are de-manufactured into recyclable components such as CRT glass, plastics,
metals, copper yokes, miscellaneous copper bearing material, and circuit boards. CRT glass
is shipped to secondary processors for “glass to lead” or “glass to glass” recycling. Items such
as toner, batteries, and inkjet printer cartridges are removed and properly recycled.
Approximately 16 tons of electronic waste were rerouted to the Puente Hills MRF from July
1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
Many cities that utilize Puente Hills Landfill have identified these diversion programs in their waste
management plans. During AB 939 survey periods, the Districts track the quantity of materials received from
each city and the tonnage diverted at the landfill. This information is used by the cities to evaluate their
progress toward meeting AB 939 diversion goals.
SECTION 6. SUMMARY OF COMPLAINTS
During the period of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, the Districts received a total of 81 complaints. All
were odor complaints; there were no dust complaints. The landfill was identified as the source of the odors for
27 complaints, and 12 complaints were not landfill related. The source could not be conclusively determined
for 42 complaints. The Districts personnel continue to follow a standard procedure that allows for
investigation of each complaint and implementation of appropriate corrective actions to mitigate the odors.
When a complaint is received either through the Districts main office or through the odor hotline, which is
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a technician is assigned to investigate the source of the odor.
Appropriate response is then implemented, which includes using a deodorizing agent in water trucks for spot
odor control; monitoring wind and odor in the surrounding area at various times throughout the day; and
altering various operations at the landfill, such as making adjustments in the gas collection system to optimize
landfill gas control. In addition, the Districts continue to extend the landfill gas collection system and install
vertical gas wells and horizontal gas trenches on recently completed fill areas.
SECTION 7. SUMMARY OF NOTICES OF VIOLATION
During the period of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, the Districts received no citations for
violations from any regulatory agencies.
SECTION 8. INTERIM AND FINAL FILL REVEGETATION
Final landfill slopes are landscaped within 180 days of completion. As part of an ongoing effort to
establish and maintain the desired planting scheme, onsite landscaping crew and irrigation contractors
continually assess the success of the revegetation. The following is a brief summary of the measures taken.
Eastern Canyons
The Eastern Canyons landfill surfaces are being revegetated with predominantly native plants.
The Landscape Plan, developed in conjunction with the CAC, was submitted to the
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Department of Regional Planning in April 2004. The purpose of this Landscape Plan (Plan)
was to provide specifications for plant materials and management techniques that are adaptive
in nature, and include contingency measures based on performance criteria established in this
Plan. Adaptive techniques will incorporate the recommendations of the Districts’ engineers to
create stable reconstructed slopes that are capable of supporting native habitat or ornamental
vegetation, and also meet the requirements of landfill cover stability and monitoring needs.
Numerous factors are considered, including soil conditions, prior experience in other areas of
the landfill, management techniques that have been shown to be effective, inventories of
botanical resources in surrounding areas, and community input. Special consideration is
given to existing soil conditions on east facing slopes, including saline soils and the mineral
content of the reclaimed water used for irrigation.
During the period of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, approximately 20 acres on the
eastern slopes were hydroseeded with native species for ground cover. These include
California sagebrush, brewer saltbush, California poppy, deerweed, white yarrow, golden
yarrow, beach evening primrose, Chinese houses, saltgrass, bush sunflowers, California
buckwheat, poverty weed, goldfields, arroyo lupine, coast-range melica, sticky monkeyflower,
white sage, black sage, and blue-eyed grass.
Invasive or undesirable plant species will continue to be removed in order to decrease
competition for water and nutrients with desirable species, which is expected to promote their
growth and survival.
Main Canyon
The landscaping palette for the Main Canyon landfill surfaces, also developed with input from
the CAC, is a forest-like landscape consisting of a mixture of ornamental and native grasses,
trees and shrubs.
Several types of ground cover grow on the north-facing slopes. These include California
sagebrush, brewers saltbush, California poppy, common buckwheat, deerweed, white yarrow,
golden yarrow, beach evening primrose, Chinese houses, saltgrass, bush sunflowers,
California buckwheat, poverty weed, goldfields, arroyo lupine, coast-range melica, sticky
monkeyflower, white sage, black sage, and blue-eyed grass.
SECTION 9. ARCHAEOLOGICAL/PALEONTOLOGICAL MONITORING
The CUP requires the Districts to implement a program to identify and conserve any significant
archaeological and paleontological materials that may be present. The Districts must retain an archaeologist
certified by the Society of Professional Archaeologists and a qualified paleontologist to perform the monitoring
and conservation work. The Districts have retained John Minch & Associates to perform both the
archaeological and paleontological monitoring of excavation areas.
Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011, no excavations were performed in native areas of the site.
Therefore, no archaeological work was required during this time frame.
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SECTION 10. WASTE-BY-RAIL
The CUP requires the Districts to use its best faith efforts to pursue and expedite the development of
the proposed waste-by-rail system that will serve the disposal needs of jurisdictions in the County of Los
Angeles. The waste-by-rail system shall consist of local components that include materials recovery and railloading facilities, rail access, and remote components that include rail-accessible out-of-County disposal sites.
The Districts have made substantial progress towards implementing a waste-by-rail system through the
purchase and development of one remote landfill, a purchase agreement on a second remote landfill,
development of local components, and the continued operation of the Puente Hills Landfill until 2013 to
provide a transition to the higher cost of waste-by-rail.
Remote Components of Waste-by-Rail
In August 2000, the Districts entered into purchase agreements with the respective owners of
the Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) and the Eagle Mountain Landfill, both of which were
designed and permitted to receive waste via rail.
The MRL is a fully permitted Class III landfill located on 4,245 acres of land in Imperial
County, approximately 220 miles southeast of metropolitan Los Angeles area. The landfill
will provide capacity for approximately 600 million tons of residual municipal solid waste
(approximately 100 years of capacity). The Districts completed the purchase of the landfill in
December 2002. Construction of those MRL facilities necessary to begin receiving refuse
was completed in December 2008. With the completion of these facilities, the Sanitation
Districts met the second CUP milestone of having a remote landfill operational by December
31, 2008. The Department of Public Works, on March 24, 2009, concurred that this
milestone had been met.
In February 2007, the Sanitation Districts submitted an application to Imperial County to
amend the MRL CUP for allow the site to receive up to 4,000 tons per day of MSW by truck.
The ability to receive waste by truck will allow the Sanitation Districts to commence
operations of the MRL prior to the completion of the waste-by-rail infrastructure in 2011-12.
Once the waste-by-rail system is operational, the ability to receive waste by truck will provide
operational flexibility with the ability to ramp up until enough tonnage is received to make up
a unit train.
Imperial County, acting as lead agency, issued a Draft Supplemental EIR for public review
and comment in June, 2010; this EIR was finalized in October 2010. The Imperial County
Board of Supervisors and the Sanitation Districts Board of Directors have approved the CUP
amendments. The Sanitation Districts is working to procure a revised Solid Waste Facilities
Permit. Trucking may begin as early as 2012.
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is located approximately 175 miles east of Los Angeles and
12 miles north of the Interstate Highway 10 at Desert Center, in Riverside County. The site
has a total capacity of 708 million tons and is currently permitted to accept up to 460 million
tons. Initially, up to 10,000 tpd of MSW may be disposed at the site. After ten years of
operations, the operator may request to increase the daily tonnage rate to 20,000 tpd. The
property totals 4,643 acres and the landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of
the property.
5
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is designed to be primarily a waste-by-rail facility. At full
operation, an average of five trains per day would arrive at the site via the UPRR main line,
which extends from Los Angeles to Ferrum Junction. The site has an existing 52-mile private
railroad that would be utilized to transport refuse from Ferrum Junction to the site.
Completion of the purchase of the landfill is dependent upon the resolution of issues related to
a land exchange between the current owners of the site and the Bureau of Land Management.
As of an August 2010 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and unsuccessful
request for hearing by the Supreme Court, the land exchange and environmental documents
are still an issue. If the environmental issues are resolved and the land exchange is approved,
the Sanitation Districts will complete the purchase of the Eagle Mountain Landfill.
Local Components of Waste-by-Rail
The local components of the waste-by-rail system consist of materials recycling facilities
(MRFs)/transfer stations and intermodal rail yards. The Districts own and operate the South
Gate Transfer Station, the Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility, and the
Puente Hills MRF. At full capacity, these facilities are permitted to accept 10,400 tons per
day. In addition, the Districts and the City of Los Angeles entered into the Joint Powers
Agreement Between City of Los Angeles and County Sanitation District No. 2 of Los Angeles
County for Implementation of Solid Resources Complexes (JPA) in 2000, which identifies a
framework under which the Districts and the City of Los Angeles would cooperatively plan,
construct, operate, and maintain one or more MRF/transfer stations.
A local intermodal rail yard is an essential component of the waste-by-rail system. This
allows the transfer of containerized waste to be loaded on rail cars and transported to the
remote disposal sites. Rail access to both Mesquite Regional Landfill and Eagle Mountain
Landfill is provided through the use of a rail line owned by the Union Pacific Railroad
(UPRR).
In November 2004, the Districts signed agreements with the City of Industry and the City of
Industry Redevelopment Agency to secure the purchase of 17 acres adjacent to the UPRR for
the development of a dedicated, local intermodal facility to serve the waste-by-rail system.
The City of Industry, as both the local land use permitting agency and the lead agency
pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, retained The Planning Center to
prepare the EIR for the project. The Industry City Council certified the Final EIR and
Development Plan in June 2008. The City of Industry Planning Commission approved the
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) in June 2008. Property acquisition was completed on May 8,
2009.
The Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) project has been divided into four bid
packages to expedite construction. The first package, demolition of existing buildings at the
PHIMF site and access corridor, was completed in January 2010. The second package,
modification of Workman Mill Road and construction of the access road, is scheduled for
completion in August 2011. The third package, railroad improvements and intermodal
facility project, began in November 2010. For a majority of the project limits, SCE has 66KV
high voltage transmission lines on the north side of the right-of-way adjacent to the track
addition. In some locations, the transmission lines will need to be relocated. The Sanitation
Districts is currently working with SCE to develop a construction schedule that does not
6
interfere with SCE’s ability to operate along this important utility corridor. The fourth
project, modifications to Crossroads Parkway North and SR60 is expected to begin this fall,
with construction estimated to be complete in early 2012. Completion of the overall project
construction is expected in mid 2012.
Pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the CUP, the Districts are required to prepare and submit quarterly
reports on the progress of the implementation of waste-by-rail. Quarterly reports 28 through 31 are included in
Appendix 4 and provide a more detailed discussion of the history and status of the waste-by-rail system.
SECTION 11. ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
The CUP requires the Districts to contribute up to $100,000 per year, during the term of the CUP,
toward the cost of studies to be conducted by the County with regard to promoting the development of
appropriate alternatives to landfilling and incineration. The study will evaluate potential activities to be
conducted by the Districts during the term of the CUP, such as ongoing monitoring and evaluation of emerging
technologies and consideration of possible pilot scale demonstrations. If the study identifies one or more
technologies that are determined by the Districts and the Director of Public Works to be viable and appropriate
to pursue on a pilot scale, the Districts shall provide additional funding, subject to approval by the Districts’
Board of Directors, for the development of such technologies on a pilot scale.
The Director of Public Works, in consultation with the Districts, initiated the formation of an
Alternative Technology Subcommittee within the Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management
Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force to assist in the preparation of the study. The Los
Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW) developed a scope of work for the conversion technology
study, which the Subcommittee reviewed and provided comments. The scope of work consists of five main
tasks: 1) strategic planning and critical path assessment, 2) technology evaluation, 3) potential feedstock
evaluation, 4) pilot study analysis and 5) preparation of a final report. In July 2004, the Board of Supervisors
authorized the Director of Public Works to execute a one-year consultant services agreement with URS
Corporation to develop screening criteria to rank potential conversion technologies and materials recycling
facilities in order to evaluate the possible development of a conversion technology facility in Southern
California. URS, under the direction of the Subcommittee, released the Final Draft Conversion Technology
Evaluation Report in June 2005. The report discussed and ranked conversion technologies, evaluated local
MRF’s suitability for conversion technologies, and provided recommendations for moving forward with
implementation. The Subcommittee and the Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force
approved the report and sent it to the Director of Public Works for his approval.
In January 2007, following a Request for Proposals, the County awarded a contract to Cerrell
Associates for development of the Southern California Alternative Technology Outreach Implementation Plan.
Cerrell Associates developed the stakeholder database, the conversion technology website and other related
outreach materials.
Following an RFP for Phase II activities related to a continuation of the evaluation of technology
suppliers and host sites, the Subcommittee and DPW recommended that the Board of Supervisors authorize the
Director of Public Works to execute a consultant service agreement with Alternative Resources, Inc. (ARI).
The Subcommittee compiled a short list of five potential technology vendors from Phase II. Information was
received from potential vendors in December 2006. ARI conducted technology vendor evaluation meetings,
gathered information, and toured facilities to assist in the evaluation in early 2007. ARI prepared a Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report – Phase II Assessment Report that recommended a conversion technology to be
incorporated into an existing MRF, and was approved by the Subcommittee in October 2007.
7
In November 2007, the County issued a RFP for Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility, and
Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County, of the Conversion Technology Project.
Five proposals were received in January 2009 and reviewed by the selection committee, which recommended
the selection of ARI. A contract with ARI was approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Board’s April 20,
2010 meeting.
As the next step in advancing the development of a conversion technology demonstration facility,
DPW issued a Request for Offers (RFO) for a proposed project in January 2008. The RFO called for a clearly
defined structure for the participating partners that would provide assurance of project commitment and ability
to obtain private funding for development. As a result, the County would select one or more partnerships to
provide County assistance in the development of the project, which may include waste supply guarantee,
economic incentives (i.e. taxes and fees waiver), and financing support, such as grants and low interest loans.
Offers were received in August 2008 and were reviewed by an Evaluation Committee comprised of a subset of
Subcommittee members. DPW completed negotiations with the teams whose offers were rated as qualified.
The Memoranda of Understanding with the vendors were approved by the County Board of Supervisors at
their April 20, 2010 meeting.
At the meeting, Supervisor Yaroslavsky made a motion directing DPW to coordinate with appropriate
stakeholders, including the Sanitation Districts and other appropriate County departments, to assess the
feasibility of developing a conversion technology facility at one or more County landfills. DPW would report
its findings regarding the development a conversion technology facility at a landfill in the County and
identification of other potentially suitable sites within Los Angeles County to the Board of Supervisors within
six months. The motion was also passed by the Board of Supervisors. On October 20, 2010, DPW submitted
a Preliminary Conversion Technology Site Assessment to the Board of Supervisors. The Assessment, based on
input from eleven stakeholders representing cities, solid waste companies, and industrial real estate developers
within Los Angeles County, identified 16 potential sites for conversion technology facility. The County will
continue to work with the stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing these locations as potential
conversion technology facility sites. On April 21, 2011, DPW staff presented a Status Report on the
Conversion Technology program to the Board of Supervisors. . On June 22, 2011, DPW issued two Requests
for Expression of Interest (RFEI) for the Phase IV full scale project. One RFEI is for technology suppliers and
the one is for financing. The process will result in a list of screened technology and financial partners that
would then be able to team with site owners to develop a project.
Pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the CUP, the Districts are required to prepare and submit quarterly reports on
the progress of identifying and evaluating alternative technologies. Quarterly reports 28 through 31 are
included in Appendix 4 and provide a detailed discussion of the types of alternative technologies, existing
alternative waste management facilities, conversion technology permitting regulations, and obstacles to
implementation of conversion technologies.
SECTION 12. TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS PURSUANT TO CONDITION NO. 45
The CUP requires the Districts to implement several transportation improvements in the vicinity of the
landfill. Issues yet to be resolved include the following:
Cost Estimate for Mitigation of Intersections
The CUP required the Districts to determine the cost to implement the following
improvements and submit those costs to DPW for review and approval within six months
8
after the effective date of the permit. Upon approval by DPW of the cost to implement these
improvements, the Districts would pay its pro-rata share of the cost of such improvements as
indicated below:
Peck Road and Pellissier Place
South Approach: Provide pavement and striping for one left-turn lane, two through
lanes, and an exclusive right-turn lane (add exclusive right-turn lane from existing).
Modify traffic signals as necessary.
The Project’s pro-rata share of the improvements is 8 percent.
Crossroads Parkway North and Crossroads Parkway South
South Approach: Provide pavement and striping for one left-turn lane, one shared
left/right-turn lane, and one right-turn lane (convert the center left-turn lane to a
shared left/right-turn lane). This mitigation measure is in the FEIR.
East Approach: Provide pavement and striping for one left-turn lane, one shared leftturn/through lane, and one through lane (convert the center through lane to a shared
left-turn/through lane).
Modify traffic signals as necessary.
The Project’s pro-rata share of the improvements is 45 percent.
The Districts submitted a report to DPW in April 2004 that detailed the estimated cost to
complete the mitigation of two intersections in the vicinity of the site. The total cost
estimated and the Districts’ combined pro-rata share of mitigation for the two intersections
were $112,280.00 and $19,902.49, respectively.
Pavement Thickness at Crossroads Parkway South
The CUP requires the Districts to increase the pavement thickness of Crossroads Parkway
South from the landfill entrance to the State Route 60 off ramp for a traffic index of 12.5.
Bryan A. Stirrat & Associates completed the “Pavement Analysis and Conceptual Design
Report for Crossroads Parkway South Between the Puente Hills Landfill and the
Route 60 Freeway” in March 2004. The report detailed the existing condition of the roadway
pavement in the vicinity of the main entrance of the PHLF and presents recommendations to
ensure its continued integrity. Based upon the findings and conclusions of the report, the
Districts proposed a comprehensive program to maintain the integrity of the pavement in the
vicinity of the main entrance of the landfill. The program includes planned improvements,
preventative maintenance, and periodic monitoring of the pavement in the vicinity of the main
entrance of the landfill to ensure the continued integrity of the roadway. A letter outlining the
proposed program, along with Stirrat’s report was sent to DPW in June 2004. DPW
commented on the report in June 2007, and did not concur with portions of the report. The
Districts will discuss with DPW the differences and propose a solution that is amenable to
both agencies.
SECTION 13. MINIMIZATION OF TRUCK TRAFFIC PURSUANT TO CONDITION NO. 45
The CUP restricted soil hauling hours at Puente Hills Landfill to 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to minimize
traffic on the freeways during peak traffic times. The CUP authorizes expansion of those hours to 6:00 a.m. to
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5:00 p.m. after traffic impacts have been deemed satisfactorily mitigated by Caltrans. To do so, the Districts
were required to collaborate with Caltrans to jointly determine a dollar amount for the equitable share for
mitigation of potential impacts to the State highway system associated with the continued operation of the
landfill. A Traffic Mitigation Agreement was signed in September 2005, which states that Caltrans relieves the
Districts from further mitigation measures throughout permitted landfill operations. A payment of the agreed
equitable share amount ($250,415) was sent to Caltrans on November 10, 2005. A request to modify the Solid
Waste Facilities Permit to reflect the expanded soil hauling hours was approved by CalRecycle in June 2010.
(This matter is now closed, and will henceforth be deleted from this Annual Report.)
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APPENDIX 1
SITE MAPS SHOWING AREAS OF
LANDFILLING OPERATIONS
A
20
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
20
19
19
18
18
17
17
16
16
15
15
14
14
13
13
12
12
11
11
10
10
9
9
8
LEGEND
7
REFUSE PLACEMENT
JULY 2010 to JUNE 2011
6
DIRT STOCKPILE
10 / 11 WINTERDECK
5
PROPERTY LINE
4
N
3
SCALE 1"= 700’
2
TOPOGRAPHY DATE: MAY 05, 2011
1
1
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
0
n: \ C F rpt \ ph \ RefuseDisposal_11 12.dgn
PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL
REFUSE DISPOSAL MAP
JULY 2010 THROUGH JUNE 2011
A
20
B
C
D
F
E
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
20
19
19
18
18
17
17
16
16
15
15
14
14
13
13
12
12
11
11
10
10
9
9
A
B
C
D
E
8
8
7
7
PROJECTED REFUSE DISPOSAL
JULY 2011 to JUNE 2012
6
6
PROJECTED 11 / 12 WINTERDECK
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
LEGEND
PROPERTY LINE
N
SCALE 1"= 700’
TOPOGRAPHY DATE: MAY 02, 2011
1
1
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
0
n: \ C F rpt \ ph \ Projected RefuseDisposal_11 12.dgn
PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL
PROJECTED REFUSE DISPOSAL MAP
JULY 2011 THROUGH JUNE 2012
APPENDIX 2
EXHIBIT OF LANDFILL FIELD SURVEY DATA
APPENDIX 3
SUMMARY OF WASTE RECEIVED, DISPOSED,
RECYCLED OR OTHERWISE DIVERTED
WASTE SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011
Month &
Year
1
On-Site Diversion/Reuse (tons)
Material Type
Hauled Offsite for Reuse/Recycling
(tons)
Green Waste Metallic
Hauled
Discards
Offsite
Hauled
Offsite
Disposal
(tons)
Electronics
Tires1
Refuse
Dirt
Asphalt
Ash Crete
Green
Waste
Received
Jul-10
181,177
24,130
17,882
27,912
0
2.1
1.8
10.0
158,087
Aug-10
192,158
19,356
18,349
25,150
0
17.1
1.2
12.2
146,811
Sep-10
198,378
18,144
16,397
24,394
0
0.0
1.2
0.0
133,546
Oct-10
140,221
16,269
14,363
25,303
0
0.0
1.4
43.5
134,711
Nov-10
109,253
16,848
15,973
23,926
0
6.5
1.0
44.9
124,420
Dec-10
53,438
14,438
13,044
22,018
0
0.0
1.3
0.0
123,409
Jan-11
70,900
24,472
10,378
22,917
0
22.5
1.6
15.5
147,559
Feb-11
61,650
21,774
11,943
17,126
0
7.1
3.2
14.5
131,611
Mar-11
78,909
21,456
15,031
23,254
0
1.3
0.7
14.2
148,408
Apr-11
102,242
24,337
14,579
26,661
0
13.4
0.9
35.6
151,101
May-11
61,632
20,964
16,977
22,883
0
43.6
0.8
18.1
138,498
Jun-11
59,152
30,258
16,991
23,598
0
1.8
0.7
14.1
125,755
Yearly Total
1,309,110
252,446
181,907
285,140
0
115.2
15.9
222.5
1,663,918
Tires, tires with rims, and oversized tires received at the landfill are hauled to Azusa Land Reclamation for processing and disposal.
APPENDIX 4
QUARTERLY REPORTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM AND THE EVALUATION OF
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
STATUS REPORT ON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEfM AND
THE EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
REPORT NO. 28
OCTOBER 2010
COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
1955 WORKMAN MILL ROAD
WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA 90601
STEPHEN R. MAGUIN
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GENERAL MANAGER
I.
PURPOSE ..........................................................................................................................1
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY.........................1
III.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED ..................................................................................1
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM .....................................................................2
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT .........................2
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES................................3
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES ..............................3
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE ....................................5
1.
2.
C
IV.
Purpose ..........................................................................................................5
Technologies Under Evaluation ....................................................................6
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES .........6
WASTE-BY-RAIL ............................................................................................................7
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES .............................................................................7
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES ........................................8
1.
2.
3.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS...............................................................10
1.
2.
D
Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill............................................8
An Operational Remote Landfill....................................................................8
Truck Haul .....................................................................................................8
Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System............................................................9
Mesquite Regional Landfill..........................................................................10
Eagle Mountain Landfill..............................................................................10
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ......11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility....................................................11
Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility ..............................11
South Gate Transfer Station ........................................................................11
Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations...................................................11
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility .................................................................12
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process ................................12
Project Features ...........................................................................................12
Design ..........................................................................................................12
Construction.................................................................................................13
Remaining Work and Approval...................................................................14
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD ...............................14
F
COST STABILIZATION AND TRANSITION PROGRAM .............................................15
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cost Stabilization and Transition Program Implementation.......................15
Current Disposal and Market Conditions ...................................................15
Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions ............................16
Impacts to Cost Transition Program ...........................................................17
ii
I.
PURPOSE
This report is prepared pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) No. 02-027-(4), which requires the Sanitation Districts to prepare and submit quarterly reports,
detailing the status of the waste-by-rail developments and other new waste management processes, to the
Director of Public Works for review and comment. This is Report No. 28. This report will describe the
Sanitation Districts’ ongoing efforts on the implementation of a waste-by-rail system and the progress
made by the Alternative Technology Advisory Committee that was formed in accordance with Condition
No. 24(c) of the CUP. Discussion of background information and completed projects can be found in
previous reports or has been condensed in this report.
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Currently, there are seven major landfills permitted to accept solid waste in Los Angeles County; five are
located in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and two are located in the Antelope Valley. A major landfill
is defined as a facility that is permitted to receive at least 500 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per
day. Four sites are privately owned and operated and three are operated by the Sanitation Districts. In
addition, there are four minor landfills and two refuse-to-energy facilities in Los Angeles County.
Pursuant to Section 41821 of the Public Resources Code, Los Angeles County is required to submit a
report to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) summarizing the adequacy of the
siting element and summary plan. The report discusses any changes in disposal capacity, disposal
facilities, or any other relevant issues. Previously, future disposal and capacity needs have been presented
in this report in a format used by the Sanitation Districts to project when remote landfill capacity might be
needed. Since the report from Department of Public Works presents disposal and capacity data in a
different format than the format used by Sanitation Districts, this report has been revised to include only
data from County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works for consistency purposes.
In 2009, Los Angeles County disposed of 9.18 million tons or 29,621 tons per day of solid waste based on
six operating days (tpd-6) at Class III landfills and transformation facilities located in and out of the
County. Of this amount, approximately 81%, or 23,881 tons per day (tpd), were disposed in landfills
located within Los Angeles County.
Table 1: 2009 Disposal Tonnage
Annual Disposal (tons)
In-County Class III Landfills
Transformation Facilities
Exports to Out-of-County Landfills
Total Disposed
6,866,137
537,012
1,779,290
9,182,439
Average Daily Disposal
(Based on six operating days)
22,149
1,732
5,740
29,621
Source: Solid Waste Disposal Summary Report, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, July 2010
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED
The latest capacity analysis is presented in the County of Los Angeles, Countywide Integrated Waste
Management Plan 2008 Annual Report, dated October 2009. Under Scenario I – Status Quo in Appendix
E-3, the disposal capacity shortfall is expected to occur beginning in 2014 at 3,611 tpd. This scenario
assumed that the Puente Hills Landfill would accept 9,300 to 10,800 tpd between 2008 and 2013 before
the landfill closes due to permit expiration and capacity at the Puente Hills Landfill will be exhausted at
closure. However, the Puente Hills Landfill currently accepts only 6,700 tpd and is estimated to have
1
approximately 16.6 million cubic yards of remaining capacity at closure, which is equivalent to 53
months of disposal capacity at the current rate. Regardless of the remaining capacity at the Puente Hills
Landfill, if landfill diversion continues to increase, alternative technologies are implemented, or any of
the proposed landfill expansions are granted, the disposal capacity shortfall will likely to occur well
beyond 2014.
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The latest analysis showed that Los Angeles County would experience a disposal shortfall in 2014 under
the status-quo scenario. While there is adequate disposal capacity within the region; it is unlikely that
customers will pay the higher cost of transporting waste over a 200-mile distance from Los Angeles
County to the Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) via rail or truck. Therefore, the utilization of waste-byrail is not anticipated prior to 2013. The waste-by-rail system will be operational in 2012, prior to the
projected disposal shortfall under the status-quo or worst-case scenario, should there be a need to use the
waste-by-rail system. Therefore although the Sanitation Districts have committed significant resources
and finances to the waste-by-rail system, it does not appear the system is required until at least 2013. At
that point, the waste-by-rail system should be operational with the potential for using truck hauling to the
operational MRL.
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
The Puente Hills Landfill provides beneficial reuse of a number of materials that might otherwise be
disposed. Many jurisdictions have come to rely on the Sanitation Districts’ landfill diversion programs,
especially the green waste program, as critical elements of their recycling programs. The largest quantities
of beneficially reused materials are clean soil, green waste, asphalt and treated incinerator ash. The
Sanitation Districts are evaluating alternatives that would provide for the continued beneficial reuse of
some of these materials after the closure of the Puente Hills Landfill.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 6,800 tpd of clean soil during the third quarter 2010.
This material is principally used for daily cover and interim cover. After closure, the landfill will
continue to have needs for clean soil to use for maintenance of roads, benches and final cover. Significant
settlement is expected to occur during the first 30 years of postclosure and clean soil will be needed for a
number of uses including fill to maintain grade of the final cover for storm water drainage. Soil needs at
the site during postclosure will be less than the current use and should decrease over time. Because clean
soil is normally in demand throughout the County at a number of different sites, “soil brokers” and dirt
hauling companies will find other more cost-effective options besides the Puente Hills Landfill. The
Sanitation Districts will work with the haulers as closure nears and onsite soil demands decline to prepare
them to redirect their loads to other locations.
Approximately 950 tpd of green waste was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the third quarter
2010. Most of this material is beneficially reused as alternative daily cover material (ADC). The
Sanitation Districts have been evaluating alternative green waste management options besides the Puente
Hills Landfill. There are a number of existing MRFs and transfer facilities that process green waste for
diversion. Many of these facilities currently transport their processed green waste to the Puente Hills
Landfill. These facilities could transfer their material to more remote beneficial use sites after the Puente
Hills Landfill closes. The Sanitation Districts alternative analysis will study the capacity of existing and
proposed facilities to manage this material. Early results of the study indicate that existing facilities will
have capacity to receive and transfer the material from the Puente Hills Landfill to alternative locations.
Sanitation Districts’ staff has contacted several facility operators who indicated that they are planning
alternatives to the Puente Hills Landfill.
2
Approximately 750 tpd of asphalt was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the third quarter 2010.
This material is beneficially reused as road base or as base for winter deck operating areas. It is
anticipated that some ground asphalt will continue to be used at the site after closure for maintenance of
site roads. However, similar to clean soil, recycled asphalt is normally in demand throughout the County.
The Sanitation Districts will work with the asphalt haulers as closure nears and onsite needs decline to
prepare them to redirect their loads to other locations.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 650 tpd of treated incinerator ash from Commerce and
Southeast Resource Recovery refuse-to-energy facilities during the third quarter 2010. This material is
used as road base for winter deck operating areas. The Sanitation Districts are conducting research to
determine the feasibility of using ash as cement additives and in building materials. Preliminary testing
indicates it is a relatively stable stream of material and may be suitable for beneficial use products.
Formulation and testing of potential products is on going. The options for developed products may be
ready for consideration by the end of 2010.
III.
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
This section tracks the alternative waste management facilities, designed to use MSW as feedstock that
are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States and describes the ongoing efforts
by the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee to advance the development of alternative waste
management facilities.
In April 2009, the CIWMB published a report, Conversion Technologies Status Update Survey, to
identify conversion technologies that are operating commercially viable facilities. CIWMB received 23
responses from the 83 companies surveyed. Five respondents claimed to have commercialized facilities
that convert MSW (two using gasification systems, three using anaerobic digestion facilities, and one
using biodiesel process). None of the commercialized facilities process MSW in California and there are
no commercial or anaerobic digestion systems in the United States processing MSW.
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Powers Energy One – Schneider, Indiana:
Process up to 10,000 tons per day of MSW.
Produce 70 gallons of ethanol per ton of waste processed.
To be owned by Lake County but operated, maintained, and privately funded by Powers Energy.
Reached an agreement with three construction firms to build the $254 million bioethanol plant in
October 2010 1 .
Quasar Energy – Columbus, Ohio:
Process approximately 150 wet tons per day of sewage sludge and 8,000 tons of fats, oils and
grease, with a maximum input of 14,000 dry tons of sludge per year.
Produce an average of 12 million British Thermal Units per hour of biogas 2 .
Began construction on May 3, 2010.
Masada – Middletown, New York (Orange Recycling and Ethanol Production Facility):
Permitted to accept 800 tons of MSW per day.
1
Post-Tribune, “Developer Signs Contractors to Build Its Bioethanol Plant”, October 2, 2010.
Ohio EPA News Release, “Ohio EPA Issues Final Water Permits for Biogas Production Facility in Columbus”,
June 23, 2009.
2
3
Designed to convert 230,000 tons of MSW per year and 73,000 (dry) tons of sewage sludge into
approximately 9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year.
Construction held up by arbitration on a contract dispute between Middletown and Masada 3 .
Greenhunter – El Centro, California (Mesquite Lake Resource Recovery Plant):
Process cow-manure and wood waste to produce 24MW of electricity.
Currently undergoing $41 million refurbishment through first quarter 2011.
BRI Energy – Oak Ridge, Tennessee:
Process approximately 125 tons of blended MSW as feedstock per day.
Convert the feedstock into ethanol and use the heat in the gasification process to co-generate
electricity.
Currently seeking a $62.5 million private investment and a $250 million federal loan guarantee to
construct the MSW-to-ethanol facility 4.
EnerTech Environmental, Inc. – Rialto, California:
Designed to handle 883 wet tons per day of biosolids and produce approximately 167 tons per
day of renewable fuel.
Began initial start-up on October 15, 2008 and was operating at 60 pecent of its capacity in June
2009.
Geoplasma - St. Lucie County, Florida:
Design to process up to 600 tons of MSW per day at a 100,000 square foot, plasma-arc
gasification facility.
Received air permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in June 2010.
Anticipates facility operations as early as March 2013. 5
World Waste Technologies, Inc. – Anaheim, California:
Constructed a 500-tons per day autoclave facility that converts MSW into separable components
of sterilized organic and inorganic materials.
Facility has been in operation since June 2006.
BlueFire Renewables - Lancaster, California:
Convert up to 170 tons per day of green and wood waste into 3.2 million gallon of ethanol per
year.
Received final environmental permits to construct the facility in February 2009.
Construction pending final funding.
BlueFire Renewables – Fulton, Mississippi:
Produce 19 million gallons of ethanol per year from woody biomass, mill residue, and sorted
MSW.
Design and construction pending final funding.
Agresti Biofuels – Pike County, Kentucky (Central Appalachian Ethanol plant):
Convert up to 1,500 tons per day of MSW at full capacity to ethanol using an acid hydrolysis
system.
Design and construction pending funding.
3
Mid Hudson News, “Future of Masada May Hinge on Who Is in City Hall”, October 5, 2009.
Green Car Congress, “BRI Energy Seeking to Build Two Gasification-Fermentation Ethanol Plants”, May 2006.
5
TC Palm, “State Environmental Permits OK’d for Trash-Zapping Plant in St. Lucie”, June 17, 2010.
4
4
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE
In accordance with Condition No. 24 (c) of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP No. 02-027-(4), the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee was formed as a subcommittee within the Los Angeles County Solid
Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The current members of the
Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee Membership
Association
Member Name
1.
Hacienda Heights Improvement Association
Jeff Yann
2.
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Jacques Franco
3.
Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force
Eugene Sun
4.
Department of Public Works
Paul Alva, alternate Coby
Skye
5.
Department of Health Services
John Kaddis, alternates Jose
Reynoso
and
Thomas
White
6.
Sanitation Districts
Mark McDannel, alternate
Robert Ferrante
7.
Optional Appointee #1 (Bioenergy Producers Association)
Dr. Kay Martin
8.
Optional Appointee #2 (Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Mike Mohajer
Management Task Force)
9.
Optional Appointee #3 (City of Los Angeles)
Alex
Helou,
Miguel Zermeno
10.
Optional Appointee #4 (Eugene Tseng and Associates)
Eugene Tseng
11.
Republic-Allied Waste
Rafael Garcia
12.
North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Wayde Hunter
alternate
In addition to the funding from the Puente Hills Landfill, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
approved the Replacement CUP for the Sunshine Canyon Landfill on February 6, 2007, which contained
provisions for an annual funding of up to $200,000 for conversion technology research. The funds would
be used to study alternative technology and develop a pilot scale facility. Representatives from the North
Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens and BFI were added to the Alternative Technology Advisory
Subcommittee.
1. Purpose
The primary purpose of the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee is to evaluate and promote
the development of conversion technologies to reduce dependence on landfills and incinerators. The
Subcommittee will assist in the preparation of the scope of work for a consultant to evaluate conversion
technologies best suited for the Southern California area, review and implement the recommendations of
the studies, and to develop strategies to promote conversion technology. The Sanitation Districts may
provide additional funding, subject to approval by its Board of Directors, to develop a pilot scale facility
if it is deemed feasible by the Subcommittee and is approved by the Director of Public Works.
5
2. Technologies Under Evaluation
To fulfill the task of finding a conversion technology that is suitable for development at one of the local
materials recovery/transfer facilities, the Subcommittee retained URS to prepare a Phase I Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report. The Report discussed and ranked conversion technologies, evaluated
local MRFs suitability for conversion technologies, and provided recommendations for moving forward
with implementation. The Report also included the Strategic Action Plan, Public Outreach Plan, Market
Analysis, and Siting Analysis as appendices. Subsequently, the Subcommittee awarded a contract to
Cerrell Associates to develop the stakeholder database, the conversion technology website and other
related outreach materials.
The Department of Public Works retained Alternative Resources, Inc. (ARI) for Phase II activities related
to a continuation of the evaluation of technology suppliers and host sites. ARI prepared a Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report – Phase II Assessment Report that recommended a conversion technology
to be incorporated into an existing MRF, which was approved by the Subcommittee on October 18, 2007.
The Subcommittee launched the new County Conversion Technology website on September 20, 2007.
The website address is www.socalconversion.org. As the next step in advancing the development of a
conversion technology demonstration facility, the Department of Public Works issued a Request for
Offers (RFO) for a proposed project in January 2008 and held a mandatory pre-offer meeting in February
2008. Offers were received in August 2008 and have been reviewed by an Evaluation Committee
comprised of a subset of Subcommittee members. DPW staff has completed negotiations with the teams
whose Offers were rated as qualified. The Memoranda of Understanding with the vendors were approved
by the County Board of Supervisors at their April 20, 2010 meeting and County staff is currently working
with the teams to develop the projects.
In November 2007, the County issued a RFP for Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility,
and Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County, of the Conversion Technology
Project. A pre-proposal meeting was held on December 15, 2008. Five proposals were received on
January 2009 and reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Subcommittee members. The
selection committee recommended the selection of Alternative Resources Inc. (ARI). A contract with
ARI was approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Board’s April 20, 2010 meeting.
The Subcommittee meetings are held monthly, typically on the 3rd Thursday of the month. The last
meeting was held on October 21, 2010.
C
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
In addition to active participation in the Subcommittee, the Sanitation Districts are prepared to assist the
County in pursuit of legislation to remove legislative barriers to the development of conversion
technology projects. For example, the Sanitation Districts took a support position on AB 222 (Adams and
Ma) in the 2009-2010 legislative session. AB 222 was intended to encourage the production of biofuels
and would have defined solid waste diverted to a biorefinery as solid waste diversion. The bill would
have defined electricity produced at a biorefinery as renewable energy under the Renewable Portfolio
Standard in California. AB 222 became a 2-year bill in 2009 and the Senate Environmental Quality
Committee held a hearing on it in June 2010. The Committee required substantial amendments to the bill
that were unacceptable to the authors; therefore, they chose not to pursue the bill this session. The
Sanitation Districts did not identify any other state legislation favorable to conversion technology projects
in 2010.
The Sanitation Districts continue its ongoing activities to review conversion technologies and potential
applications to the Sanitation Districts’ needs. The Sanitation Districts staff visited the Plasma Waste
6
Recycling (PWR) in Huntsville, Alabama in January 2010 and a demonstration of Comprehensive
Resources’ autoclaving technology at the Crazy Horse Landfill in Salinas, California in March 2010.
Both technologies are in the developmental stage. The Sanitation Districts will track their development to
determine if there is applicability to the Sanitation Districts’ needs.
Lastly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Memoranda of Understanding between
the County and demonstration project developers on April 20, 2010. Supervisor Yaroslavsky made a
motion directing Department of Public Works to coordinate with appropriate stakeholders, including the
Sanitation Districts and other appropriate County departments, to assess the feasibility of developing a
conversion technology facility at one or more County landfills. Department of Public Works would
report its findings regarding the development a conversion technology facility at a landfill in the County
and identification of other potentially suitable sites within Los Angeles County to the Board of
Supervisors within six months. The motion was also passed by the Board of Supervisors. As a result, the
Sanitation Districts have met with the Department of Public Works several times to develop a list of
preliminary sites, including the Sanitation Districts’ facilities, for a conversion technology facility.
IV.
WASTE-BY-RAIL
Although the potential for conversion technologies to play a role in waste management exists, several
obstacles must be overcome before any of the processes can be relied upon on a large scale. As such, the
Sanitation Districts have worked diligently to implement a waste-by-rail system that would ensure that
the County would have long-term disposal capacity when in-county landfill disposal capacity diminishes.
This section describes the Sanitation Districts’ efforts to implement a waste-by-rail system.
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES
Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP requires the Sanitation Districts to consult with
Department of Public Works regarding the planning and development of the waste-by-rail system and to
meet several milestones in the implementation of a waste-by-rail system.
By December 31, 2007, the Sanitation Districts shall commence the development of at least one
remote waste-by-rail landfill.
By December 31, 2008, at least one of the remote landfills shall be fully operational.
By December 31, 2009, the waste-by-rail system shall be operational.
The Sanitation Districts must meet these milestones in order to maintain the 13,200 tons per day
maximum allowable tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill. If the Sanitation Districts were unsuccessful in
meeting the milestones, the allowable daily tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill could be reduced by:
2,000 tons per day if the development of a remote landfill has not commenced by December 31, 2007;
1,000 tons per day if a remote landfill is not operational by December 31, 2008; and
2,000 tons per day if a waste-by-rail system is not fully operational by December 31, 2009.
The Director of Public Works has the discretion to waive the reduction in daily tonnage if the Director of
Public Works finds that the Sanitation Districts are making best faith efforts to comply with the
implementation schedule, and the lack of compliance is through no fault of the Sanitation Districts.
7
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES
This section describes the ongoing efforts by the Sanitation Districts in attaining the waste-by-rail
implementation goals established in the Puente Hills Landfill CUP.
1. Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill
The Sanitation Districts have achieved and met the first milestone of commencing development of at least
one remote waste-by-rail landfill by December 31, 2007. As detailed in Section C – Development of
Remote Landfills, the Sanitation Districts began final design of essential infrastructures at the MRL in
2005. The following construction projects were completed prior to December 31, 2007:
Installation of perimeter fencing to facilitate desert tortoise clearance and monitoring in
compliance with the Biological Mitigation and Monitoring Plan,
Installation of groundwater monitoring wells for the initial phase of the landfill,
Construction of a 2-million gallon aboveground water tank,
Installation of pipeline and electrical cable between the Mesquite Mine water supply line and the
MRL water storage tank to provide water and power for the construction and operation of the
landfill,
Construction of roads and drainage structures.
2. An Operational Remote Landfill
The second milestone was achieved by having an operational remote landfill by December 31, 2008
through construction of all essential facilities. Facilities essential to the startup of operations include
water, power, communications, drainage, environmental control systems, and operational facilities. A
letter was sent to Department of Public Works on December 24, 2008, informing them that the Sanitation
Districts met the second milestone of having a remote landfill operational by December 31, 2008. The
Department of Public Works sent a letter to the Sanitation Districts on March 24, 2009, concurring with
this determination.
Truck Haul
In February 2007, the Sanitation Districts submitted an application to Imperial County to amend the MRL
CUP for the ability to receive up to 4,000 tons per day of MSW by truck. It is anticipated that MRL truck
transport operations would start-up in 2009 at a tonnage of approximately 300 tpd, gradually increasing
up to 4,000 tpd. Initially, it is not likely that large amounts of Imperial County MSW will be delivered to
the site due to the availability of other existing disposal options. Thus, truck haul of MSW originating
from Los Angeles County would be the most viable method of delivering waste for disposal at the MRL
during this initial period. The ability to receive waste by truck will allow the Sanitation Districts to
commence operations of the MRL, prior to the completion of the needed waste-by-rail infrastructure in
2012. Once the waste-by-rail system is operational, the ability to receive waste by truck will provide
operational flexibility with the ability to ramp up until enough tonnage is received to make up a unit
train 6 .
Imperial County has discretionary approval authority for the proposed amendment and, therefore, is
responsible for determining the type of environmental document required, preparing the document, and
acting as lead agency for the proposed amendment. On July 18, 2007, Imperial County Planning and
Development Services Department issued a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Subsequent Environmental
6
Based on previous studies, the optimal capacity of a unit train consists of approximately 4,000 tons of
containerized waste.
8
Impact Report (SEIR) for the MRL CUP. A SEIR addresses the potential impacts related to the proposed
project changes of transporting up to 4,000 tpd of waste by truck in lieu of by train. A public SEIR
scoping meeting was held on August 23, 2007. Imperial County released a Draft SEIR for the project on
June 8, 2010 and received comments on the Draft SEIR through July 29, 2010. The Draft SEIR
determined that the project would result in a significant and unavoidable impact for greenhouse gas.
Imperial County issued a Notice of Availability of the Final EIR on October 6, 2010 and is scheduled to
consider the certification of the Final EIR, including the adoption of a finding of overriding
considerations, and the approval of the CUP amendment in late 2010.
3. Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System
The Sanitation Districts prepared “Progress Report on the Development of a Waste-by-Rail System”
(Progress Report) and circulated it to various stakeholders for review in November 2009. The Progress
Report documented major accomplishments by the Sanitation Districts and obstacles encountered during
the implementation a waste-by-rail system and stated that the construction was on going with expected
completion in 2012. Based on the Sanitation Districts’ demonstrated best-faith toward implementing
waste-by-rail, the Los Angeles County Director of Public Works granted a waiver of the Puente Hills
Landfill CUP milestone that would reduce the daily tonnage into the landfill if a waste-by-rail system was
not operational by the end of 2009. As a condition of that waiver, the Sanitation Districts submitted an
update to the Progress Report to the stakeholders for review on October 15, 2010. A summary of the
major accomplishments and obstacles towards the development of a waste-by-rail system as described in
the Progress Report is provided below:
The Sanitation Districts acquired the MRL in 2002 and completed construction of the facility in
compliance with the CUP milestone to have a remote landfill operational by the end of 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began its efforts to identify a property in the vicinity of the Puente Hills MRF
that could be developed as a dedicated waste-by-rail loading facility prior to the issuance of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP. In November 2004, the Sanitation Districts successfully negotiated an
option to purchase a property for development as a dedicated intermodal facility. The permitting and
environmental review process for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) property took more
than three years to complete and a land use permit was issued June 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began on-going discussions with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the
waste-by-rail system and the potential use of existing UPRR intermodal facilities to serve the system
in 2002. The Sanitation Districts diligently negotiated with UPRR; however, it took until mid-2009
before an agreement could be reached with UPRR that would commit them to serving the project.
Numerous technical challenges have lengthened the design process to more than three years,
including a design change requested by UPRR after the EIR was certified and 80% of the track design
was completed, significant coordination with SCE over relocation of their facilities to be impacted by
the PHIMF development and an extensive review and approval process with California Department of
Transportation for modification of the SR-60 bridge.
Demolition of existing building for the PHIMF was completed in January 2010 and the construction
of Workman Mill Road and access roads for the PHIMF are on schedule for completion in
September 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $36 million construction contract for the rail spur and intermodal
facility at the MRL in March 2010 and an $80 million construction contract for the most ambitious
portion of the PHIMF in August 2010,
9
The Sanitation Districts entered into an Industry Track Agreement with UPRR for the construction of
the rail spur at the MRL in June 2010 and expect to enter into a Letter Agreement with UPRR
identifying work to be completed within the UPRR right-of-way for the PHIMF in October 2010.
To date, the Sanitation Districts have expended significant funds, approximately $414 million, to
develop a waste-by-rail system. The construction schedule indicates that a complete waste-by-rail
system will be ready for operations in 2012, prior to the expiration of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP
in November 2013.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS
Within California, there are two landfills that are designed and permitted to receive waste via rail: the
MRL in Imperial County and the Eagle Mountain Landfill site in Riverside County. In August 2000, the
Sanitation Districts entered into purchase agreements with the respective owners of each of these sites.
1. Mesquite Regional Landfill
The Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) is located on 4,245 acres of land in Imperial County, about 35
miles east of the nearest town of Brawley and about 220 miles southeast of the metropolitan Los Angeles
area. The MRL is fully permitted as a Class III landfill that can accept residual MSW transported from
Southern California communities by rail and transported from Imperial County jurisdictions by transfer
trucks. The approved landfill footprint of 2,290 acres will provide capacity for approximately 600 million
tons of residual MSW and 100 years of operation. The site is permitted to receive a maximum of
20,000 tpd.
As of December 24, 2008, all infrastructures required for the MRL to be operational have been
constructed. The current activities related to the MRL include ongoing biological monitoring activities,
design and construction of the MRL railyard, and continued public outreach efforts, such as one-on-one
meetings, presentations and event attendance.
On January 13, 2010, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $36 million contract to Coffman
Specialties, Inc. for construction of the Mesquite Regional Landfill Rail Spur and Intermodal Yard–Stage
I. Additionally, a $1.4-million contract was awarded to Wilson and Company, Inc., for design support
during construction. Construction began in March 2010 and will take approximately 24 months. The
Sanitation Districts submitted a formal application to the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
for three at-grade crossings on the proposed spur track. The PUC formally approved the application on
December 18, 2008.
2. Eagle Mountain Landfill
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is located approximately 175 miles east of Los Angeles and 12 miles
north of the Interstate Highway 10 at Desert Center, in Riverside County. The Eagle Mountain Landfill
site has a total capacity of 708 million tons and is currently permitted to accept up to 460 million tons.
Initially, up to 10,000 tpd of MSW may be disposed at the site. After ten years of operations, the operator
may request to increase the daily tonnage rate to 20,000 tpd. The property totals 4,643 acres and the
landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of the property.
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is designed to be primarily a waste-by-rail facility. At full operation, an
average of five trains per day would arrive at the site via the UPRR main line, which extends from Los
Angeles to Ferrum Junction. The Eagle Mountain Landfill site has an existing 52-mile private railroad
that would be utilized to transport refuse from Ferrum Junction to the site.
10
Completion of the purchase of the site is dependent upon the resolution of the federal litigation. In
Summer 2010, Kaiser Ventures Inc.’s request for a re-hearing by the 9th District Court of Appeals was
denied, leaving Kaiser with the option to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or go back to District Court to
fix the problems identified by appellate judges in November 2009. Problems identified by appellate
judges were the failure to evaluate alternative sites and consider how the project would affect the desert
ecosystem, and an undervaluing of the public land needed for the project.
D
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The local components of the waste-by-rail system will be comprised of MRFs/transfer stations and
intermodal rail yards. With respect to MRF/transfer stations, the Sanitation Districts have completed the
construction of the Puente Hills MRF. The Sanitation Districts own and operate the South Gate Transfer
Station and the Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility.
1. Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility
The Puente Hills MRF is located in unincorporated Los Angeles County near the western end of the City
of Industry on approximately 25 acres of land. The MRF is permitted to receive its design capacity of a
maximum of 4,400 tons of waste per day or a maximum of 24,000 tons per week. The facility has been
designed to recover approximately 15 percent of the waste that is processed. Residual waste from the
MRF is transported via transfer trucks to a local landfill. When the waste-by-rail system is operational,
the residual waste from the MRF will be trucked to a local intermodal rail yard for transport via rail to a
remote landfill for disposal.
The MRF was completed in June 2005. The facility has state-of-the-art environmental control and
sustainable design features, including visual screening, odor and dust control system, the use of recycled
construction materials and reclaimed water, and a liquefied natural gas facility. The MRF officially
opened to the public on July 11, 2005. The facility is accepting approximately 500 tpd.
2. Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility
In August 2000, the Sanitation Districts purchased the DART Facility from DART Inc. for approximately
$24 million. The DART Facility is located on a 6.2-acre site in the City of Downey, west of the San
Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and south of Firestone Boulevard. It is permitted to receive, handle and
process up to 5,000 tons of waste per day. It has been in operation since 1997.
3. South Gate Transfer Station
The Sanitation Districts have been the owner and operator of the South Gate Transfer Station since its
construction in 1958. It is located on a 4.5-acre site in the City of South Gate, east of the Long Beach
Freeway (I-710) at the Firestone Boulevard exit. It is permitted to accept 1,000 ton of non-hazardous
MSW per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
4. Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations
As local disposal capacity diminishes, privately owned MRFs and transfer stations may elect to utilize
local rail yards to transport waste to the remote landfills and become a part of the waste-by-rail system.
The Sanitation Districts will work with any entities that wish to utilize the waste-by-rail system.
11
5. Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
As described above, the use of a local rail yard is an essential component of the waste-by-rail system.
Rail access to both the Mesquite Regional Landfill and the Eagle Mountain Landfill is provided through
the use of a rail line owned by the UPRR. The Sanitation Districts are constructing a dedicated local
railyard – the PHIMF – in the City of Industry to serve as the final component of the waste-by-rail
system.
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process
On November 11, 2004, the Sanitation Districts reached agreements with the City of Industry and the
City of Industry Redevelopment Agency to secure the purchase of 17 acres adjacent to the UPRR for the
development of a dedicated, local intermodal facility to serve the waste-by-rail system.
The City of Industry is the local land use permitting agency and the lead agency pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act. On June 12, 2008, following a public hearing on the matter, the City of
Industry City Council adopted a resolution to certify the Final EIR and adopt Findings of Fact, Statement
of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring Program. The City Council also approved
Development Plan conditions for the project. On June 26, 2008, the City of Industry Planning
Commission approved the issuance of a CUP for the project.
On March 12, 2009, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council to approve an
addendum to the PHIMF EIR for project modifications involving track infrastructure within UPRR rightof-way and a Development Agreement for the PHIMF. The City Council held a public meeting on the
matter on March 26, 2009, and subsequently adopted the ordinance to approve the Development
Agreement on April 9, 2009. The Sanitation Districts purchased the properties needed to construct the
PHIMF and the access corridor on May 8, 2009.
Project Features
The PHIMF will include three main features: 1) an intermodal facility to support the loading/unloading
of up to two dedicated waste-by-rail trains per day; 2) access to and from the site from the Puente Hills
MRF; and 3) rail improvements to allow the efficient operation of the intermodal facility. The intermodal
facility will consist of six-onsite rail loading tracks to support a two-train per day operation, three
maintenance tracks to service and fuel locomotives, a container storage area, an administration building,
maintenance facilities, and employee/visitor parking areas. The off-street access road will be constructed
by raising the grade of Workman Mill Road, which will involve reconfiguring a storm drain, relocating
several underground utilities and constructing a sewer siphon. The rail improvements within UPRR rightof-way will consist of a new staging and arrival/departure track along a 3.5-mile corridor between
Mission Mill Road and Seventh Avenue. Other improvements within the right-of-way include
constructing two new bridges, modifying two existing bridges, and installing ancillary structures, such as
switches and signals. The development of an intermodal facility at this location would require the
demolition of an existing 457,000 square foot warehouse. An intermodal facility on the site could be
designed to handle up to 2 trains per day, or approximately 8,000 tpd of refuse. At its permitted capacity,
the Puente Hills MRF could produce up to 4,000 tpd of residual waste, as a result, the facility would have
capacity to receive rail ready shipping containers from other materials recovery facilities.
Design
Shortly after the Sanitation Districts entered into agreements to purchase the PHIMF property in 2004, the
Sanitation Districts awarded a $2.3 million contract for preliminary design of the PHIMF. During
preliminary design, the consultant evaluated the feasibility of constructing an off-street access between
the Puente Hills MRF and the PHIMF, identified the critical design elements related to the project, and
provided technical information needed for the environmental analysis.
12
In May 2007, the Sanitation Districts awarded a $9.5 million contract for continued preliminary and final
design services. As the project requires complicated design and construction coordination efforts with
various parties, the Sanitation Districts and the design team began to meet with stakeholders such as SCE,
Caltrans and other utilities providers in mid 2007. To date, there have been three-dozen meetings with
Sanitation Districts’ staff and SCE/Caltrans to inform them of the many design and schedule challenges
and to develop solutions.
The project has been divided into four bid packages to accommodate design phasing and expedite
construction: 1) Site Demolition, 2) Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, 3) Puente
Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements, and 4) SR 60 and Crossroads Parkway
Modifications. The consultants completed final plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for the
Site Demolition, the Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, and the Puente Hills
Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements in Fall 2008, Winter 2009, and Winter 2010 respectively.
Caltrans approved a Project Study Report/Project Report (PSR-PR) for the modification of the SR-60 at
the Clayton Overhead in March 2010. The approved PSR-PR allowed the Sanitation Districts’ design
team to proceed with preparation of PS&E. The Sanitation Districts submitted 100% PS&E to Caltrans
for review in October 2010. The design team expects to complete final PS&E for SR-60 and Crossroads
Parkway Bridge Modifications by the end of 2010. The Sanitation Districts also entered into a Freeway
Maintenance Agreement and a Cooperative Agreement with Caltrans in July 2010. The Freeway
Maintenance Agreement clarifies the division of maintenance and responsibilities with respect to the
tieback retaining wall, graffiti control, and bridge inspection. The Cooperative Agreement defines the
responsibilities for the design and construction phases of the project. Additionally, the Sanitation
Districts are working diligently with property owners to secure the necessary right-of-way interests to
construct the project.
Construction
On May 27, 2009, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $1.3 million contract to AMPCO
Contracting, Inc. for demolition of existing buildings at the PHIMF site and within the access corridor.
Site demolition began in July 2009 and was completed in January 2010.
To accommodate the construction of the access road, the Sanitation Districts worked with utility
companies and public agencies to relocate multiple underground utilities along Workman Mill Road,
including a 48-inch water line and a natural gas line. The Sanitation Districts also awarded an
approximately $20 million contract to Skanska for Workman Mill Road and access road improvements on
July 8, 2009. Mobilization and traffic control for the project occurred in November 2009, and
groundbreaking activities began on December 15, 2009. This work will continue through approximately
September 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $79.3 million contract to construct the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
and Railroad Improvements project in August 2010. This project will consist of all track work within
UPRR right-of-way, including the railroad bridges, as well as the intermodal facility. Construction will
begin in November 2010. For a majority of the project limits, SCE has 66KV high voltage transmission
lines on the north side of the right-of-way adjacent to the track addition. In some locations, the
transmission lines will need to be relocated. The Sanitation Districts continues to work with SCE to
complete the utility relocation design and develop a construction schedule that does not interfere with
SCE’s ability to operate along this important utility corridor. The Sanitation Districts are also working
with public agencies and private property owners to obtain property rights for construction of this project.
Due to the traffic impacts that could be created from lane closures at both Workman Mill Road and Peck
Road, the Sanitation Districts limited construction to only one area at a time. This created unique
scheduling challenges and lengthened the overall construction period. Completion of the overall project
construction is expected in 2012.
13
As a mitigation measure for the project, the Sanitation Districts are required to implement a program to
reduce project noise impacts to two residential communities adjacent to the UPRR. The Sanitation
Districts will be constructing an 11-foot retaining and sound wall along these communities as part of the
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility project. Additionally, the Sanitation Districts retained a
contractor to upgrade the windows and patio doors for eligible homes in these communities with
windows/doors that meets certain performance standards for sound reduction. The window and patio
door replacement at the Whittier Woods community commenced in October 2009 and was completed in
December 2009. Work at the Gladstone community began in May 2010 and was completed in
August 2010.
Remaining Work and Approval
A list of work and approval needed to operate a waste-by-rail system is provided below.
Mesquite Regional Landfill
Commence development of waste-by-rail landfill
Fully operational site – December 2008
Railyard and rail spur (15% complete) – December 2011 (estimated completion)
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
Site Demolition
Design (100% complete) – August 2008
Construction (100% complete) – January 2010
Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements
Design (100% complete) – March 2009
Construction (50% complete) – September 2011 (estimated completion)
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility
Design (100% complete) – March 2010
Construction (0% complete) – 2012 (estimated completion)
Modifications to Crossroads Parkway North and SR60
Design (100% complete) – December 2010 (estimated completion)
Construction (0% complete) – Early 2012 (estimated completion)
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
In October 2008, the Sanitation Districts executed two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
UPRR. The MOUs served as the initial agreements to establish rail transportation services between the
PHIMF and the MRL. On June 24, 2009, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved a 15-year,
Rail Transportation Contract with UPRR. The contract establishes the terms and rate for transporting up
to two trains per day of approximately 4,000 tons each of MSW from the PHIMF to MRL. This contract
for service is a significant milestone for both parties to move forward with their plans for construction and
operation of a waste-by-rail system between the PHIMF and MRL. On June 23, 2010, the Sanitation
Districts executed an Industry Track Agreement (ITA) with UPRR for the construction of MRL. The ITA
14
defines the division of responsibility between UPRR and the Sanitation Districts for the construction,
operation and maintenance of various portion of the track that will serve the railyard at the MRL. The
Sanitation Districts will also enter into a Letter Agreement with UPRR in October that allows the
Sanitation Districts’ contractor to construct an industrial track and related work within the UPRR right-ofway for the PHIMF project. The Sanitation Districts will continue to meet with UPRR and anticipate
entering into agreements with UPRR for construction, maintenance, and operations of the waste-by-rail
system prior to commencement of operations.
F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM
The Sanitation Districts’ strategy is to provide a gradual cost increase and smooth transition between the
current cost of local disposal capacity and the higher cost of remote disposal. The fund will be composed
of three components: 1) initial seed money of $150 million set aside from gas-to-energy revenues; 2)
contributions from future gas-to-energy revenues; and 3) a dedicated portion of future tipping fee
increases at the Puente Hills Landfill. This program is designed to keep tipping fees as low as possible
during the 20-year transition period between the implementation of the Cost Transition Program and the
operation of WBR at full costs.
1. Cost Transition Program Implementation
By implementing the cost stabilization and transition program in 2005, before a waste-by-rail system is
needed, a fund will be created to support at a minimum an initial waste-by-rail project from the Puente
Hills MRF. As discussed above, the fund will be used to provide a stable and controlled transition
between the current disposal fee and the higher cost of waste-by-rail when it is implemented.
Accordingly, the $150 million initial seed money has already been set aside and annual tipping fee
increases of $1.77 per ton per year were implemented from 2005 to 2007. On October 10, 2007, the
Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors adopted an ordinance prescribing the tipping fee for Sanitation
Districts’ solid waste facilities, including the Puente Hills Landfill and the Puente Hills MRF. The new
tipping fees of $29.42 per ton, $33.86, and $38.26 became effective on January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009,
and January 1, 2010, respectively. The Sanitation Districts will evaluate subsequent annual increases
beyond 2010 through the life of the Cost Transition Program and make adjustments as necessary to reflect
changes in costs.
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 47%
since 2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the
Puente Hills Landfill. Therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted
in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
2. Current Disposal and Market Conditions
Landfills throughout Southern California have experienced a continued decline in tonnage since 2005 as a
result of the economic down turn. Table 3 shows a summary of Los Angeles County refuse disposal
tonnage from 2005 to first quarter 2010. As shown, disposal tonnage in Los Angeles County has
decreased by approximately 37% since 2005.
15
Table 3: Summary of Disposal by Los Angeles County Jurisdictions*
Year
Average (tpd-6**)
Trend (%)
2005
46,409
2006
38,727
-17%
2007
37,031
-4%
2008
33,758
-9%
2009
29,621
-12%
2010 (1st quarter only)
29,084
-2%
st
Overall Trend from 2005-1 quarter 2010
-37%
* Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Jurisdictions, County of Los Angeles Department of
Public Works
** tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating days in a year (2005-2009)
and 76 operating days in first quarter 2010.
3. Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions
The economic downturn has resulted in a significant decrease in refuse disposal. However, as shown in
Table 4, tonnage received at Sanitation Districts’ operated landfills dropped more than the countywide
average. Although a significant amount of the tonnage decline can be attributed to the economy, a certain
portion of tonnage that previously went to publicly operated landfills has been redirected to privately
operated facilities. Private companies have the ability to “internalize” their collection and landfill
operations. By utilizing their own available disposal capacity instead of taking their waste to landfills
owned by others, they are able to maximize capacity and revenue at their own landfills. Increased costs to
transport waste to more distant landfills under their ownership can be offset by charging themselves
reduced tipping fees. Without control and tonnage commitment, the Sanitation Districts are unable to
internalize collection and disposal costs that other private waste management companies have been able
to do. Meanwhile, the tipping fees at the Puente Hills Landfill has increased from $22.65 per ton in 2005
to $38.26 per ton in 2010 to pay for increases in state and local fees as well as to set aside monies for the
Cost Transition Program.
16
Table 4: Summary of Disposal at Sanitation Districts’ Operated Landfills (tpd-6)*
Year
Calabasas1
Puente Hills
Scholl Canyon2
2005
1,783
12,624
1,461
2006
1,634
12,332
1,441
2007
1,497
12,117
1,291
2008
1,191
10,161
1,089
2009
883
8,510
830
2010**
859
6,668
834
Overall Trend from 2005 –
-50%
-47%
-43%
June 2010
Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Facilities, County of Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works. Tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating per year.
** Through June 2010, assuming 153 operating days.
1
Calabasas Landfill is prohibited by County ordinance from accepting waste including tires from outside of the wasteshed
area composed of the incorporated cities of (service area) Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks;
that portion of the City of Los Angeles bordered by the northerly line of Township 2 North on the north, Interstate Highway
405 on the east, Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the city boundary on the west; and certain
unincorporated areas in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
2
An ordinance passed by the City of Glendale limits disposal at the landfill to solid wastes generated within the Los Angeles
County incorporated cities of Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre; the Los
Angeles County unincorporated communities known as Altadena, La Crescenta, Montrose; the unincorporated area bordered
by the cities of San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, and Pasadena; the unincorporated area immediately to the
north of Arcadia, and Pasadena; and the unincorporated area immediately to the north of the City of San Marino bordered by
the City of Pasadena on the west, north and east sides.
4. Impacts to Cost Transition Program
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 33% since
2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente
Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted in
reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
The drop in tonnage at Puente Hills Landfill from fiscal year 2007/08 to 2008/09 resulted in a loss of
approximately $186 million in tipping fees. With a potentially slow economic recovery, it is uncertain if
tonnage levels at the Puente Hills Landfill will ever return to pre-recession levels and the loss may
continue until the Puente Hills Landfill closes in November 1, 2013. With a set closure date, capacity not
consumed at the Puente Hills Landfill will remain unrecoverable. Funding for the Cost Transition
Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in
tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill resulted in reduced funding to the Cost Transition
Program. Currently, the Sanitation Districts have set aside adequate funding to construct the
infrastructures needed to operate a waste-by-rail system. The Sanitation Districts will continue to monitor
the funding and the accuracy of the program and evaluate the program’s ability to keep tipping fees for
the waste-by-rail system competitive.
17
STATUS REPORT ON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM AND
THE EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
REPORT NO. 29
JANUARY 2011
COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
1955 WORKMAN MILL ROAD
WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA 90601
STEPHEN R. MAGUIN
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GENERAL MANAGER
This page is intentionally left blank.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PURPOSE ..........................................................................................................................1
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY.........................1
III.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED ..................................................................................1
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ..................................................................... 2
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT ......................... 2
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES................................ 3
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES .............................. 3
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE .................................... 5
1.
2.
C
IV.
Purpose .......................................................................................................... 5
Technologies Under Evaluation .................................................................... 6
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ......... 6
WASTE-BY-RAIL ............................................................................................................ 7
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES ............................................................................. 7
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES ........................................ 8
1.
2.
3.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS...............................................................10
1.
2.
D
Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill............................................ 8
An Operational Remote Landfill.................................................................... 8
Truck Haul ..................................................................................................... 8
Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System............................................................ 9
Mesquite Regional Landfill..........................................................................10
Eagle Mountain Landfill..............................................................................10
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ......11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility....................................................11
Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility ..............................11
South Gate Transfer Station ........................................................................11
Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations...................................................12
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility .................................................................12
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process ................................12
Project Features ...........................................................................................12
Design ..........................................................................................................13
Construction.................................................................................................13
Remaining Work and Approval...................................................................14
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD ...............................15
F
COST STABILIZATION AND TRANSITION PROGRAM .............................................15
1.
2.
Cost Stabilization and Transition Program Implementation.......................15
Current Disposal and Market Conditions ...................................................16
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.
4.
Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions ............................16
Impacts to Cost Transition Program ...........................................................17
ii
I.
PURPOSE
This report is prepared pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) No. 02-027-(4), which requires the Sanitation Districts to prepare and submit quarterly reports,
detailing the status of the waste-by-rail developments and other new waste management processes, to the
Director of Public Works for review and comment. This is Report No. 29. This report will describe the
Sanitation Districts’ ongoing efforts on the implementation of a waste-by-rail system and the progress
made by the Alternative Technology Advisory Committee that was formed in accordance with Condition
No. 24(c) of the CUP. Discussion of background information and completed projects can be found in
previous reports or has been condensed in this report.
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Currently, there are seven major landfills permitted to accept solid waste in Los Angeles County; five are
located in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and two are located in the Antelope Valley. A major landfill
is defined as a facility that is permitted to receive at least 500 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per
day. Four sites are privately owned and operated and three are operated by the Sanitation Districts. In
addition, there are four minor landfills and two refuse-to-energy facilities in Los Angeles County.
Pursuant to Section 41821 of the Public Resources Code, Los Angeles County is required to submit a
report to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) summarizing the adequacy of the
siting element and summary plan. The report discusses any changes in disposal capacity, disposal
facilities, or any other relevant issues. Previously, future disposal and capacity needs have been presented
in this report in a format used by the Sanitation Districts to project when remote landfill capacity might be
needed. Since the report from Department of Public Works presents disposal and capacity data in a
different format than the format used by Sanitation Districts, this report has been revised to include only
data from County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works for consistency purposes.
Through the first three quarter of 2010, Los Angeles County disposed of 6.6 million tons or 28,394 tons
per day of solid waste based on six operating days (tpd-6) at Class III landfills and transformation
facilities located in and out of the County. Of this amount, approximately 79%, or 22,319 tons per day
(tpd), were disposed in landfills located within Los Angeles County.
Table 1: 2010 Disposal Tonnage*
Annual Disposal (tons)
In-County Class III Landfills
Transformation Facilities
Exports to Out-of-County Landfills
Total Disposed
4,766,345
411,469
1,409,438
6,587,252
Average Daily Disposal
(Based on six operating days)
20,545
1,774
6,075
28,394
* Data through September 30, 2010 from Monthly Solid Waste Disposal Quantity Summary, County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Works, January 2011.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED
The latest capacity analysis is presented in the County of Los Angeles, Countywide Integrated Waste
Management Plan (CIWMP) 2008 Annual Report, dated October 2009. Under Scenario I – Status Quo in
Appendix E-3, the disposal capacity shortfall is expected to occur beginning in 2014 at 3,611 tpd. This
scenario assumed that the Puente Hills Landfill would accept 9,300 to 10,800 tpd between 2008 and 2013
before the landfill closes due to permit expiration and capacity at the Puente Hills Landfill will be
1
exhausted at closure. However, the Puente Hills Landfill currently accepts only 6,000 tpd and is
estimated to have approximately 16.6 million cubic yards of remaining capacity at closure, which is
equivalent to 53 months of disposal capacity at the current rate. Regardless of the remaining capacity at
the Puente Hills Landfill, if landfill diversion continues to increase, alternative technologies are
implemented, or any of the proposed landfill expansions are granted, the disposal capacity shortfall will
likely to occur well beyond 2014.
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The CIWMP 2008 Annual Report showed that Los Angeles County would experience a disposal shortfall
in 2014 under the status-quo scenario. While there is adequate disposal capacity within the region; it is
unlikely that customers will pay the higher cost of transporting waste over a 200-mile distance from Los
Angeles County to the Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) via rail or truck. Therefore, the utilization of
waste-by-rail is not anticipated prior to 2013. The waste-by-rail system will be operational in 2012, prior
to the projected disposal shortfall under the status-quo or worst-case scenario, should there be a need to
use the waste-by-rail system. Therefore although the Sanitation Districts have committed significant
resources and finances to the waste-by-rail system, it does not appear the system is required until at least
2013. At that point, the waste-by-rail system should be operational with the potential for using truck
hauling to the operational MRL.
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
The Puente Hills Landfill provides beneficial reuse of a number of materials that might otherwise be
disposed. Many jurisdictions have come to rely on the Sanitation Districts’ landfill diversion programs,
especially the green waste program, as critical elements of their recycling programs. The largest quantities
of beneficially reused materials are clean soil, green waste, asphalt and treated incinerator ash. The
Sanitation Districts are evaluating alternatives that would provide for the continued beneficial reuse of
some of these materials after the closure of the Puente Hills Landfill.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 4,000 tpd of clean soil during the fourth quarter 2010.
This material is principally used for daily cover and interim cover. After closure, the landfill will
continue to have needs for clean soil to use for maintenance of roads, benches and final cover. Significant
settlement is expected to occur during the first 30 years of postclosure and clean soil will be needed for a
number of uses including fill to maintain grade of the final cover for storm water drainage. Soil needs at
the site during postclosure will be less than the current use and should decrease over time. Because clean
soil is normally in demand throughout the County at a number of different sites, “soil brokers” and dirt
hauling companies will find other more cost-effective options besides the Puente Hills Landfill. The
Sanitation Districts will work with the haulers as closure nears and onsite soil demands decline to prepare
them to redirect their loads to other locations.
Approximately 900 tpd of green waste was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the fourth quarter
2010. Most of this material is beneficially reused as alternative daily cover material (ADC). The
Sanitation Districts have been evaluating alternative green waste management options besides the Puente
Hills Landfill. There are a number of existing MRFs and transfer facilities that process green waste for
diversion. Many of these facilities currently transport their processed green waste to the Puente Hills
Landfill. These facilities could transfer their material to more remote beneficial use sites after the Puente
Hills Landfill closes. The Sanitation Districts alternative analysis will study the capacity of existing and
proposed facilities to manage this material. Early results of the study indicate that existing facilities will
have capacity to receive and transfer the material from the Puente Hills Landfill to alternative locations.
2
Sanitation Districts’ staff has contacted several facility operators who indicated that they are planning
alternatives to the Puente Hills Landfill.
Approximately 600 tpd of asphalt was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the fourth quarter
2010. This material is beneficially reused as road base or as base for winter deck operating areas. It is
anticipated that some ground asphalt will continue to be used at the site after closure for maintenance of
site roads. However, similar to clean soil, recycled asphalt is normally in demand throughout the County.
The Sanitation Districts will work with the asphalt haulers as closure nears and onsite needs decline to
prepare them to redirect their loads to other locations.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 550 tpd of treated incinerator ash from Commerce and
Southeast Resource Recovery refuse-to-energy facilities during the fourth quarter 2010. This material is
used as road base for winter deck operating areas. The Sanitation Districts are working with several
vendors to determine the feasibility of various alternatives for reusing ash. Formulation and testing of
potential products is on going.
III.
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
This section tracks the alternative waste management facilities, designed to use MSW as feedstock that
are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States and describes the ongoing efforts
by the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee to advance the development of alternative waste
management facilities.
In April 2009, the CIWMB published a report, Conversion Technologies Status Update Survey, to
identify conversion technologies that are operating commercially viable facilities. CIWMB received 23
responses from the 83 companies surveyed. Five respondents claimed to have commercialized facilities
that convert MSW (two using gasification systems, three using anaerobic digestion facilities, and one
using biodiesel process). None of the commercialized facilities process MSW in California and there are
no commercial or anaerobic digestion systems in the United States processing MSW.
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Powers Energy One – Schneider, Indiana:
Process up to 10,000 tons per day of MSW.
Produce 70 gallons of ethanol per ton of waste processed.
To be owned by Lake County but operated, maintained, and privately funded by Powers Energy.
Reached an agreement with three construction firms to build the $254 million bioethanol plant in
October 2010 1 .
Quasar Energy – Columbus, Ohio:
Process approximately 150 wet tons per day of sewage sludge and 8,000 tons of fats, oils and
grease, with a maximum input of 14,000 dry tons of sludge per year.
Produce an average of 12 million British Thermal Units per hour of biogas 2 .
Began construction on May 3, 2010.
Masada – Middletown, New York (Orange Recycling and Ethanol Production Facility):
Permitted to accept 800 tons of MSW per day.
1
Post-Tribune, “Developer Signs Contractors to Build Its Bioethanol Plant”, October 2, 2010.
Ohio EPA News Release, “Ohio EPA Issues Final Water Permits for Biogas Production Facility in Columbus”,
June 23, 2009.
2
3
Designed to convert 230,000 tons of MSW per year and 73,000 (dry) tons of sewage sludge into
approximately 9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year.
Construction held up by arbitration on a contract dispute between Middletown and Masada 3 .
Greenhunter – El Centro, California (Mesquite Lake Resource Recovery Plant):
Process cow-manure and wood waste to produce 24MW of electricity.
Currently undergoing $41 million refurbishment through first quarter 2011.
BRI Energy – Oak Ridge, Tennessee:
Process approximately 125 tons of blended MSW as feedstock per day.
Convert the feedstock into ethanol and use the heat in the gasification process to co-generate
electricity.
Currently seeking a $62.5 million private investment and a $250 million federal loan guarantee to
construct the MSW-to-ethanol facility 4.
EnerTech Environmental, Inc. – Rialto, California:
Designed to handle 883 wet tons per day of biosolids and produce approximately 167 tons per
day of renewable fuel.
Began initial start-up on October 15, 2008 and was operating at 60 pecent of its capacity in June
2009.
Geoplasma - St. Lucie County, Florida:
Design to process up to 600 tons of MSW per day at a 100,000 square foot, plasma-arc
gasification facility and produce up to 22 megawatt of electricity.
Received air permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in June 2010.
Anticipates facility operations as early as March 2013. 5
World Waste Technologies, Inc. – Anaheim, California:
Constructed a 500-tons per day autoclave facility that converts MSW into separable components
of sterilized organic and inorganic materials.
Facility has been in operation since June 2006.
BlueFire Renewables - Lancaster, California:
Convert up to 170 tons per day of green and wood waste into 3.2 million gallon of ethanol per
year.
Received final environmental permits to construct the facility in February 2009.
Construction pending final funding.
BlueFire Renewables – Fulton, Mississippi:
Produce 19 million gallons of ethanol per year from woody biomass, mill residue, and sorted
MSW.
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact (Finding) for the project on June 4, 2010.
BlueFire signed a Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract with Wanzek
Construction, Inc. (subsidiary of MasTec) in October 2010.
Began clearing, rough grading and drainage of the construction site in November 2010.
Agresti Biofuels – Pike County, Kentucky (Central Appalachian Ethanol plant):
3
Mid Hudson News, “Future of Masada May Hinge on Who Is in City Hall”, October 5, 2009.
Green Car Congress, “BRI Energy Seeking to Build Two Gasification-Fermentation Ethanol Plants”, May 2006.
5
TC Palm, “State Environmental Permits OK’d for Trash-Zapping Plant in St. Lucie”, June 17, 2010.
4
4
Convert up to 1,500 tons per day of MSW at full capacity to ethanol using an acid hydrolysis
system.
Design and construction pending funding.
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE
In accordance with Condition No. 24 (c) of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP No. 02-027-(4), the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee was formed as a subcommittee within the Los Angeles County Solid
Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The current members of the
Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee Membership
Association
Member Name
1.
Hacienda Heights Improvement Association
Jeff Yann
2.
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Jacques Franco
3.
Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force
Eugene Sun
4.
Department of Public Works
Paul Alva, alternate Coby
Skye
5.
Department of Health Services
John Kaddis, alternates Jose
Reynoso
and
Thomas
White
6.
Sanitation Districts
Mark McDannel, alternate
Robert Ferrante
7.
Optional Appointee #1 (Bioenergy Producers Association)
Dr. Kay Martin
8.
Optional Appointee #2 (Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Mike Mohajer
Management Task Force)
9.
Optional Appointee #3 (City of Los Angeles)
Alex
Helou,
Miguel Zermeno
10.
Optional Appointee #4 (Eugene Tseng and Associates)
Eugene Tseng
11.
Republic-Allied Waste
Rafael Garcia
12.
North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Wayde Hunter
alternate
In addition to the funding from the Puente Hills Landfill, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
approved the Replacement CUP for the Sunshine Canyon Landfill on February 6, 2007, which contained
provisions for an annual funding of up to $200,000 for conversion technology research. The funds would
be used to study alternative technology and develop a pilot scale facility. Representatives from the North
Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens and BFI were added to the Alternative Technology Advisory
Subcommittee.
1. Purpose
The primary purpose of the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee is to evaluate and promote
the development of conversion technologies to reduce dependence on landfills and incinerators. The
Subcommittee will assist in the preparation of the scope of work for a consultant to evaluate conversion
technologies best suited for the Southern California area, review and implement the recommendations of
the studies, and to develop strategies to promote conversion technology. The Sanitation Districts may
5
provide additional funding, subject to approval by its Board of Directors, to develop a pilot scale facility
if it is deemed feasible by the Subcommittee and is approved by the Director of Public Works.
2. Technologies Under Evaluation
To fulfill the task of finding a conversion technology that is suitable for development at one of the local
materials recovery/transfer facilities, the Subcommittee retained URS to prepare a Phase I Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report. The Report discussed and ranked conversion technologies, evaluated
local MRFs suitability for conversion technologies, and provided recommendations for moving forward
with implementation. The Report also included the Strategic Action Plan, Public Outreach Plan, Market
Analysis, and Siting Analysis as appendices. Subsequently, the Subcommittee awarded a contract to
Cerrell Associates to develop the stakeholder database, the conversion technology website and other
related outreach materials.
The Department of Public Works retained Alternative Resources, Inc. (ARI) for Phase II activities related
to a continuation of the evaluation of technology suppliers and host sites. ARI prepared a Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report – Phase II Assessment Report that recommended a conversion technology
to be incorporated into an existing MRF, which was approved by the Subcommittee on October 18, 2007.
The Subcommittee launched the new County Conversion Technology website on September 20, 2007.
The website address is www.socalconversion.org. As the next step in advancing the development of a
conversion technology demonstration facility, the Department of Public Works issued a Request for
Offers (RFO) for a proposed project in January 2008 and held a mandatory pre-offer meeting in February
2008. Offers were received in August 2008 and have been reviewed by an Evaluation Committee
comprised of a subset of Subcommittee members. DPW staff has completed negotiations with the teams
whose Offers were rated as qualified. The Memoranda of Understanding with the vendors were approved
by the County Board of Supervisors at their April 20, 2010 meeting and County staff is currently working
with the teams to develop the projects.
In November 2007, the County issued a RFP for Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility,
and Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County, of the Conversion Technology
Project. A pre-proposal meeting was held on December 15, 2008. Five proposals were received on
January 2009 and reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Subcommittee members. The
selection committee recommended the selection of Alternative Resources Inc. (ARI). A contract with
ARI was approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Board’s April 20, 2010 meeting.
The Subcommittee meetings are held monthly, typically on the 3rd Thursday of the month. The last
meeting was held on January 20, 2010.
C
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
In addition to active participation in the Subcommittee, the Sanitation Districts are prepared to assist the
County in pursuit of legislation to support the development of conversion technology projects. In the
2009-2010 legislative session, the Sanitation Districts took a support position on AB 222 (Adams and
Ma). AB 222 was intended to encourage the production of biofuels and would have defined solid waste
diverted to a biorefinery as solid waste diversion. The bill also would have defined electricity produced at
a biorefinery as renewable energy under the Renewable Portfolio Standard in California. AB 222 became
a 2-year bill in 2009 and the Senate Environmental Quality Committee held a hearing on it in June 2010.
The Committee required substantial amendments to the bill that were unacceptable to the authors;
therefore, they chose not to pursue the bill further. The Sanitation Districts plan to review legislation
introduced in the 2011-12 legislative session to identify bills designed to promote or remove barriers to
6
the development of conversion technology projects, and will continue to assist the County in promoting
such legislation.
The Sanitation Districts continue its ongoing activities to review conversion technologies and potential
applications to the Sanitation Districts’ needs. The Sanitation Districts staff visited the Plasma Waste
Recycling (PWR) in Huntsville, Alabama in January 2010 and a demonstration of Comprehensive
Resources’ autoclaving technology at the Crazy Horse Landfill in Salinas, California in March 2010.
Both technologies are in the developmental stage. The Sanitation Districts will track their development to
determine if there is applicability to the Sanitation Districts’ needs.
Lastly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Memoranda of Understanding between
the County and demonstration project developers on April 20, 2010. Supervisor Yaroslavsky made a
motion directing Department of Public Works to coordinate with appropriate stakeholders, including the
Sanitation Districts and other appropriate County departments, to assess the feasibility of developing a
conversion technology facility at one or more County landfills. Department of Public Works would
report its findings regarding the development a conversion technology facility at a landfill in the County
and identification of other potentially suitable sites within Los Angeles County to the Board of
Supervisors within six months. The motion was also passed by the Board of Supervisors. As a result, the
Sanitation Districts have met with the Department of Public Works several times to develop a list of
preliminary sites, including the Sanitation Districts’ facilities, for a conversion technology facility.
IV.
WASTE-BY-RAIL
Although the potential for conversion technologies to play a role in waste management exists, several
obstacles must be overcome before any of the processes can be relied upon on a large scale. As such, the
Sanitation Districts have worked diligently to implement a waste-by-rail system that would ensure that
the County would have long-term disposal capacity when in-county landfill disposal capacity diminishes.
This section describes the Sanitation Districts’ efforts to implement a waste-by-rail system.
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES
Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP requires the Sanitation Districts to consult with
Department of Public Works regarding the planning and development of the waste-by-rail system and to
meet several milestones in the implementation of a waste-by-rail system.
By December 31, 2007, the Sanitation Districts shall commence the development of at least one
remote waste-by-rail landfill.
By December 31, 2008, at least one of the remote landfills shall be fully operational.
By December 31, 2009, the waste-by-rail system shall be operational.
The Sanitation Districts must meet these milestones in order to maintain the 13,200 tons per day
maximum allowable tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill. If the Sanitation Districts were unsuccessful in
meeting the milestones, the allowable daily tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill could be reduced by:
2,000 tons per day if the development of a remote landfill has not commenced by December 31, 2007;
1,000 tons per day if a remote landfill is not operational by December 31, 2008; and
2,000 tons per day if a waste-by-rail system is not fully operational by December 31, 2009.
7
The Director of Public Works has the discretion to waive the reduction in daily tonnage if the Director of
Public Works finds that the Sanitation Districts are making best faith efforts to comply with the
implementation schedule, and the lack of compliance is through no fault of the Sanitation Districts.
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES
This section describes the ongoing efforts by the Sanitation Districts in attaining the waste-by-rail
implementation goals established in the Puente Hills Landfill CUP.
1. Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill
The Sanitation Districts have achieved and met the first milestone of commencing development of at least
one remote waste-by-rail landfill by December 31, 2007. As detailed in Section C – Development of
Remote Landfills, the Sanitation Districts began final design of essential infrastructures at the MRL in
2005. The following construction projects were completed prior to December 31, 2007:
Installation of perimeter fencing to facilitate desert tortoise clearance and monitoring in
compliance with the Biological Mitigation and Monitoring Plan,
Installation of groundwater monitoring wells for the initial phase of the landfill,
Construction of a 2-million gallon aboveground water tank,
Installation of pipeline and electrical cable between the Mesquite Mine water supply line and the
MRL water storage tank to provide water and power for the construction and operation of the
landfill,
Construction of roads and drainage structures.
2. An Operational Remote Landfill
The second milestone was achieved by having an operational remote landfill by December 31, 2008
through construction of all essential facilities. Facilities essential to the startup of operations include
water, power, communications, drainage, environmental control systems, and operational facilities. A
letter was sent to Department of Public Works on December 24, 2008, informing them that the Sanitation
Districts met the second milestone of having a remote landfill operational by December 31, 2008. The
Department of Public Works sent a letter to the Sanitation Districts on March 24, 2009, concurring with
this determination.
Truck Haul
In February 2007, the Sanitation Districts submitted an application to Imperial County to amend the MRL
CUP for the ability to receive up to 4,000 tons per day of MSW by truck. It is anticipated that MRL truck
transport operations would start-up in 2009 at a tonnage of approximately 300 tpd, gradually increasing
up to 4,000 tpd. Initially, it is not likely that large amounts of Imperial County MSW will be delivered to
the site due to the availability of other existing disposal options. Thus, truck haul of MSW originating
from Los Angeles County would be the most viable method of delivering waste for disposal at the MRL
during this initial period. The ability to receive waste by truck will allow the Sanitation Districts to
commence operations of the MRL, prior to the completion of the needed waste-by-rail infrastructure in
2012. Once the waste-by-rail system is operational, the ability to receive waste by truck will provide
operational flexibility with the ability to ramp up until enough tonnage is received to make up a unit
train 6 .
6
Based on previous studies, the optimal capacity of a unit train consists of approximately 4,000 tons of
containerized waste.
8
Imperial County has discretionary approval authority for the proposed amendment and, therefore, is
responsible for determining the type of environmental document required, preparing the document, and
acting as lead agency for the proposed amendment. On July 18, 2007, Imperial County Planning and
Development Services Department issued a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Subsequent Environmental
Impact Report (SEIR) for the MRL CUP. A SEIR addresses the potential impacts related to the proposed
project changes of transporting up to 4,000 tpd of waste by truck in lieu of by train. A public SEIR
scoping meeting was held on August 23, 2007. Imperial County released a Draft SEIR for the project on
June 8, 2010 and received comments on the Draft SEIR through July 29, 2010. The Draft SEIR
determined that the project would result in a significant and unavoidable impact for greenhouse gas.
Imperial County issued a Notice of Availability of the Final EIR on October 6, 2010 and is scheduled to
consider the certification of the Final EIR, including the adoption of a finding of overriding
considerations, and the approval of the CUP amendment in February 2011.
3. Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System
The Sanitation Districts prepared “Progress Report on the Development of a Waste-by-Rail System”
(Progress Report) and circulated it to various stakeholders for review in November 2009. The Progress
Report documented major accomplishments by the Sanitation Districts and obstacles encountered during
the implementation a waste-by-rail system and stated that the construction was on going with expected
completion in 2012. Based on the Sanitation Districts’ demonstrated best-faith toward implementing
waste-by-rail, the Los Angeles County Director of Public Works granted a waiver of the Puente Hills
Landfill CUP milestone that would reduce the daily tonnage into the landfill if a waste-by-rail system was
not operational by the end of 2009. As a condition of that waiver, the Sanitation Districts submitted an
update to the Progress Report to the stakeholders for review on October 15, 2010. A summary of the
major accomplishments and obstacles towards the development of a waste-by-rail system as described in
the Progress Report is provided below:
The Sanitation Districts acquired the MRL in 2002 and completed construction of the facility in
compliance with the CUP milestone to have a remote landfill operational by the end of 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began its efforts to identify a property in the vicinity of the Puente Hills MRF
that could be developed as a dedicated waste-by-rail loading facility prior to the issuance of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP. In November 2004, the Sanitation Districts successfully negotiated an
option to purchase a property for development as a dedicated intermodal facility. The permitting and
environmental review process for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) property took more
than three years to complete and a land use permit was issued June 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began on-going discussions with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the
waste-by-rail system and the potential use of existing UPRR intermodal facilities to serve the system
in 2002. The Sanitation Districts diligently negotiated with UPRR; however, it took until mid-2009
before an agreement could be reached with UPRR that would commit them to serving the project.
Numerous technical challenges have lengthened the design process to more than three years,
including a design change requested by UPRR after the EIR was certified and 80% of the track design
was completed, significant coordination with SCE over relocation of their facilities to be impacted by
the PHIMF development and an extensive review and approval process with California Department of
Transportation for modification of the SR-60 bridge.
Demolition of existing building for the PHIMF was completed in January 2010 and the construction
of Workman Mill Road and access roads for the PHIMF are on schedule for completion in
September 2011.
9
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $36 million construction contract for the rail spur and intermodal
facility at the MRL in March 2010 and an $80 million construction contract for the most ambitious
portion of the PHIMF in August 2010.
The Sanitation Districts entered into an Industry Track Agreement with UPRR for the construction of
the rail spur at the MRL in June 2010 and entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR identifying
work to be completed within the UPRR right-of-way for the PHIMF in October 2010.
To date, the Sanitation Districts have expended significant funds, approximately $417 million, to
develop a waste-by-rail system. The construction schedule indicates that a complete waste-by-rail
system will be ready for operations in 2012, prior to the expiration of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP
in November 2013.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS
Within California, there are two landfills that are designed and permitted to receive waste via rail: the
MRL in Imperial County and the Eagle Mountain Landfill site in Riverside County. In August 2000, the
Sanitation Districts entered into purchase agreements with the respective owners of each of these sites.
1. Mesquite Regional Landfill
The Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) is located on 4,245 acres of land in Imperial County, about 35
miles east of the nearest town of Brawley and about 220 miles southeast of the metropolitan Los Angeles
area. The MRL is fully permitted as a Class III landfill that can accept residual MSW transported from
Southern California communities by rail and transported from Imperial County jurisdictions by transfer
trucks. The approved landfill footprint of 2,290 acres will provide capacity for approximately 600 million
tons of residual MSW and 100 years of operation. The site is permitted to receive a maximum of
20,000 tpd.
As of December 24, 2008, all infrastructures required for the MRL to be operational have been
constructed. The current activities related to the MRL include ongoing biological monitoring activities,
design and construction of the MRL railyard, and continued public outreach efforts, such as one-on-one
meetings, presentations and event attendance.
On January 13, 2010, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $36 million contract to Coffman
Specialties, Inc. for construction of the Mesquite Regional Landfill Rail Spur and Intermodal Yard–Stage
I. Additionally, a $1.4-million contract was awarded to Wilson and Company, Inc., for design support
during construction. Construction began in March 2010 and will take approximately 24 months. The
Sanitation Districts submitted a formal application to the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
for three at-grade crossings on the proposed spur track. The PUC formally approved the application on
December 18, 2008.
2. Eagle Mountain Landfill
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is located approximately 175 miles east of Los Angeles and 12 miles
north of the Interstate Highway 10 at Desert Center, in Riverside County. The Eagle Mountain Landfill
site has a total capacity of 708 million tons and is currently permitted to accept up to 460 million tons.
Initially, up to 10,000 tpd of MSW may be disposed at the site. After ten years of operations, the operator
may request to increase the daily tonnage rate to 20,000 tpd. The property totals 4,643 acres and the
landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of the property.
10
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is designed to be primarily a waste-by-rail facility. At full operation, an
average of five trains per day would arrive at the site via the UPRR main line, which extends from Los
Angeles to Ferrum Junction. The Eagle Mountain Landfill site has an existing 52-mile private railroad
that would be utilized to transport refuse from Ferrum Junction to the site.
Completion of the purchase of the site is dependent upon the resolution of the federal litigation. In
Summer 2010, Kaiser Ventures Inc.’s request for a re-hearing by the 9th District Court of Appeals was
denied, leaving Kaiser with the option to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or go back to District Court to
fix the problems identified by appellate judges in November 2009. Problems identified by appellate
judges were the failure to evaluate alternative sites and consider how the project would affect the desert
ecosystem, and an undervaluing of the public land needed for the project.
D
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The local components of the waste-by-rail system will be comprised of MRFs/transfer stations and
intermodal rail yards. With respect to MRF/transfer stations, the Sanitation Districts have completed the
construction of the Puente Hills MRF. The Sanitation Districts own and operate the South Gate Transfer
Station and the Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility.
1. Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility
The Puente Hills MRF is located in unincorporated Los Angeles County near the western end of the City
of Industry on approximately 25 acres of land. The MRF is permitted to receive its design capacity of a
maximum of 4,400 tons of waste per day or a maximum of 24,000 tons per week. The facility has been
designed to recover approximately 15 percent of the waste that is processed. Residual waste from the
MRF is transported via transfer trucks to a local landfill. When the waste-by-rail system is operational,
the residual waste from the MRF will be trucked to a local intermodal rail yard for transport via rail to a
remote landfill for disposal.
The MRF was completed in June 2005. The facility has state-of-the-art environmental control and
sustainable design features, including visual screening, odor and dust control system, the use of recycled
construction materials and reclaimed water, and a liquefied natural gas facility. The MRF officially
opened to the public on July 11, 2005. The facility is accepting approximately 500 tpd.
2. Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility
In August 2000, the Sanitation Districts purchased the DART Facility from DART Inc. for approximately
$24 million. The DART Facility is located on a 6.2-acre site in the City of Downey, west of the San
Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and south of Firestone Boulevard. It is permitted to receive, handle and
process up to 5,000 tons of waste per day. It has been in operation since 1997.
3. South Gate Transfer Station
The Sanitation Districts have been the owner and operator of the South Gate Transfer Station since its
construction in 1958. It is located on a 4.5-acre site in the City of South Gate, east of the Long Beach
Freeway (I-710) at the Firestone Boulevard exit. It is permitted to accept 1,000 ton of non-hazardous
MSW per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
11
4. Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations
As local disposal capacity diminishes, privately owned MRFs and transfer stations may elect to utilize
local rail yards to transport waste to the remote landfills and become a part of the waste-by-rail system.
The Sanitation Districts will work with any entities that wish to utilize the waste-by-rail system.
5. Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
As described above, the use of a local rail yard is an essential component of the waste-by-rail system.
Rail access to both the Mesquite Regional Landfill and the Eagle Mountain Landfill is provided through
the use of a rail line owned by the UPRR. The Sanitation Districts are constructing a dedicated local
railyard – the PHIMF – in the City of Industry to serve as the final component of the waste-by-rail
system.
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process
On November 11, 2004, the Sanitation Districts reached agreements with the City of Industry and the
City of Industry Redevelopment Agency to secure the purchase of 17 acres adjacent to the UPRR for the
development of a dedicated, local intermodal facility to serve the waste-by-rail system.
The City of Industry is the local land use permitting agency and the lead agency pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act. On June 12, 2008, following a public hearing on the matter, the City of
Industry City Council adopted a resolution to certify the Final EIR and adopt Findings of Fact, Statement
of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring Program. The City Council also approved
Development Plan conditions for the project. On June 26, 2008, the City of Industry Planning
Commission approved the issuance of a CUP for the project.
On March 12, 2009, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council to approve an
addendum to the PHIMF EIR for project modifications involving track infrastructure within UPRR rightof-way and a Development Agreement for the PHIMF. The City Council held a public meeting on the
matter on March 26, 2009, and subsequently adopted the ordinance to approve the Development
Agreement on April 9, 2009. The Sanitation Districts purchased the properties needed to construct the
PHIMF and the access corridor on May 8, 2009.
Project Features
The PHIMF will include three main features: 1) an intermodal facility to support the loading/unloading
of up to two dedicated waste-by-rail trains per day; 2) access to and from the site from the Puente Hills
MRF; and 3) rail improvements to allow the efficient operation of the intermodal facility. The intermodal
facility will consist of six-onsite rail loading tracks to support a two-train per day operation, three
maintenance tracks to service and fuel locomotives, a container storage area, an administration building,
maintenance facilities, and employee/visitor parking areas. The off-street access road will be constructed
by raising the grade of Workman Mill Road, which will involve reconfiguring a storm drain, relocating
several underground utilities and constructing a sewer siphon. The rail improvements within UPRR rightof-way will consist of a new staging and arrival/departure track along a 3.5-mile corridor between
Mission Mill Road and Seventh Avenue. Other improvements within the right-of-way include
constructing two new bridges, modifying two existing bridges, and installing ancillary structures, such as
switches and signals. The development of an intermodal facility at this location would require the
demolition of an existing 457,000 square foot warehouse. An intermodal facility on the site could be
designed to handle up to 2 trains per day, or approximately 8,000 tpd of refuse. At its permitted capacity,
the Puente Hills MRF could produce up to 4,000 tpd of residual waste, as a result, the facility would have
capacity to receive rail ready shipping containers from other materials recovery facilities.
12
Design
Shortly after the Sanitation Districts entered into agreements to purchase the PHIMF property in 2004, the
Sanitation Districts awarded a $2.3 million contract for preliminary design of the PHIMF. During
preliminary design, the consultant evaluated the feasibility of constructing an off-street access between
the Puente Hills MRF and the PHIMF, identified the critical design elements related to the project, and
provided technical information needed for the environmental analysis.
In May 2007, the Sanitation Districts awarded a $9.5 million contract for continued preliminary and final
design services. As the project requires complicated design and construction coordination efforts with
various parties, the Sanitation Districts and the design team began to meet with stakeholders such as SCE,
Caltrans and other utilities providers in mid 2007. To date, there have been three-dozen meetings with
Sanitation Districts’ staff and SCE/Caltrans to inform them of the many design and schedule challenges
and to develop solutions.
The project has been divided into four bid packages to accommodate design phasing and expedite
construction: 1) Site Demolition, 2) Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, 3) Puente
Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements, and 4) SR 60 and Crossroads Parkway
Modifications. The consultants completed final plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for the
Site Demolition, the Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, and the Puente Hills
Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements in Fall 2008, Winter 2009, and Winter 2010 respectively.
Caltrans approved a Project Study Report/Project Report (PSR-PR) for the modification of the SR-60 at
the Clayton Overhead in March 2010. The approved PSR-PR allowed the Sanitation Districts’ design
team to proceed with preparation of PS&E. The Sanitation Districts submitted 100% PS&E to Caltrans
for review in January 2011. The design team expects to complete final PS&E for SR-60 and Crossroads
Parkway Bridge Modifications in early 2011. The Sanitation Districts also entered into a Freeway
Maintenance Agreement and a Cooperative Agreement with Caltrans in July 2010. The Freeway
Maintenance Agreement clarifies the division of maintenance and responsibilities with respect to the
tieback retaining wall, graffiti control, and bridge inspection. The Cooperative Agreement defines the
responsibilities for the design and construction phases of the project. Additionally, the Sanitation
Districts are working diligently with property owners to secure the necessary right-of-way interests to
construct the project.
Construction
On May 27, 2009, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $1.3 million contract to AMPCO
Contracting, Inc. for demolition of existing buildings at the PHIMF site and within the access corridor.
Site demolition began in July 2009 and was completed in January 2010.
To accommodate the construction of the access road, the Sanitation Districts worked with utility
companies and public agencies to relocate multiple underground utilities along Workman Mill Road,
including a 48-inch water line and a natural gas line. The Sanitation Districts also awarded an
approximately $20 million contract to Skanska for Workman Mill Road and access road improvements on
July 8, 2009. Mobilization and traffic control for the project occurred in November 2009, and
groundbreaking activities began on December 15, 2009. This work will continue through approximately
September 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $79.3 million contract to construct the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
and Railroad Improvements project in August 2010. This project consists of all track work within UPRR
right-of-way, including the railroad bridges, as well as the intermodal facility. Construction began in
December 2010 with clearing, grubbing and grading work at the intermodal facility site. For a majority
of the project limits, SCE has 66KV high voltage transmission lines on the north side of the right-of-way
adjacent to the track addition. In some locations, the transmission lines will need to be relocated. The
13
Sanitation Districts continue to work with SCE to complete the utility relocation design and develop a
construction schedule that does not interfere with SCE’s ability to operate along this important utility
corridor. The Sanitation Districts are also working with public agencies and private property owners to
obtain property rights for construction of this project. Due to the traffic impacts that could be created
from lane closures at both Workman Mill Road and Peck Road, the Sanitation Districts limited
construction to only one area at a time. This created unique scheduling challenges and lengthened the
overall construction period. Completion of the overall project construction is expected in 2012.
As a mitigation measure for the project, the Sanitation Districts are required to implement a program to
reduce project noise impacts to two residential communities adjacent to the UPRR. The Sanitation
Districts will be constructing an 11-foot retaining and sound wall along these communities as part of the
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility project. Additionally, the Sanitation Districts retained a
contractor to upgrade the windows and patio doors for eligible homes in these communities with
windows/doors that meets certain performance standards for sound reduction. The window and patio
door replacement at the Whittier Woods community commenced in October 2009 and was completed in
December 2009. Work at the Gladstone community began in May 2010 and was completed in
August 2010.
Remaining Work and Approval
A list of work and approval needed to operate a waste-by-rail system is provided below.
Mesquite Regional Landfill
Commence development of waste-by-rail landfill
Fully operational site – December 2008
Railyard and rail spur (60% complete) – December 2011 (estimated completion)
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
Site Demolition
Design (100% complete) – August 2008
Construction (100% complete) – January 2010
Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements
Design (100% complete) – March 2009
Construction (70% complete) – September 2011 (estimated completion)
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility
Design (100% complete) – March 2010
Construction (0% complete) – 2012 (estimated completion)
Modifications to Crossroads Parkway North and SR60
Design (100% complete) – February 2011 (estimated completion)
Construction (0% complete) – Mid 2012 (estimated completion)
14
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
In October 2008, the Sanitation Districts executed two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
UPRR. The MOUs served as the initial agreements to establish rail transportation services between the
PHIMF and the MRL. On June 24, 2009, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved a 15-year,
Rail Transportation Contract with UPRR. The contract establishes the terms and rate for transporting up
to two trains per day of approximately 4,000 tons each of MSW from the PHIMF to MRL. This contract
for service is a significant milestone for both parties to move forward with their plans for construction and
operation of a waste-by-rail system between the PHIMF and MRL. On June 23, 2010, the Sanitation
Districts executed an Industry Track Agreement (ITA) with UPRR for the construction of MRL. The ITA
defines the division of responsibility between UPRR and the Sanitation Districts for the construction,
operation and maintenance of various portion of the track that will serve the railyard at the MRL. The
Sanitation Districts also entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR in October 2010 that allows the
Sanitation Districts’ contractor to construct an industrial track and related work within the UPRR right-ofway for the PHIMF project. The Sanitation Districts will continue to meet with UPRR and anticipate
entering into agreements with UPRR for construction, maintenance, and operations of the waste-by-rail
system prior to commencement of operations.
F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM
The Sanitation Districts’ strategy is to provide a gradual cost increase and smooth transition between the
current cost of local disposal capacity and the higher cost of remote disposal. The fund will be composed
of three components: 1) initial seed money of $150 million set aside from gas-to-energy revenues; 2)
contributions from future gas-to-energy revenues; and 3) a dedicated portion of future tipping fee
increases at the Puente Hills Landfill. This program is designed to keep tipping fees as low as possible
during the 20-year transition period between the implementation of the Cost Transition Program and the
operation of WBR at full costs.
1. Cost Transition Program Implementation
By implementing the cost stabilization and transition program in 2005, before a waste-by-rail system is
needed, a fund will be created to support at a minimum an initial waste-by-rail project from the Puente
Hills MRF. As discussed above, the fund will be used to provide a stable and controlled transition
between the current disposal fee and the higher cost of waste-by-rail when it is implemented.
Accordingly, the $150 million initial seed money has already been set aside and annual tipping fee
increases of $1.77 per ton per year were implemented from 2005 to 2007. On October 10, 2007, the
Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors adopted an ordinance prescribing the tipping fee for Sanitation
Districts’ solid waste facilities, including the Puente Hills Landfill and the Puente Hills MRF. The new
tipping fees of $29.42 per ton, $33.86, and $38.26 became effective on January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009,
and January 1, 2010, respectively. Tipping fee for 2011 remains the same as 2010 at $38.26 per ton. The
Sanitation Districts will evaluate subsequent annual increases beyond 2011 through the life of the Cost
Transition Program and make adjustments as necessary to reflect changes in costs.
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 50%
since 2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the
Puente Hills Landfill. Therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted
in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
15
2. Current Disposal and Market Conditions
Landfills throughout Southern California have experienced a continued decline in tonnage since 2005 as a
result of the economic down turn. Table 3 shows a summary of Los Angeles County refuse disposal
tonnage from 2005 to third quarter 2010. As shown, disposal tonnage in Los Angeles County has
decreased by approximately 39% since 2005.
Table 3: Summary of Disposal by Los Angeles County Jurisdictions*
Year
Average (tpd-6**)
Trend (%)
2005
46,409
2006
38,727
-17%
2007
37,031
-4%
2008
33,758
-9%
2009
29,621
-12%
2010 (through 3rd quarter)
28,394
-4%
Overall Trend from 2005-3rd quarter 2010
-39%
* Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Jurisdictions, County of Los Angeles Department of
Public Works
** tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating days in a year (2005-2009)
and 232 operating days through the first three quarters of 2010.
3. Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions
The economic downturn has resulted in a significant decrease in refuse disposal. However, as shown in
Table 4, tonnage received at Sanitation Districts’ operated landfills dropped more than the countywide
average. Although a significant amount of the tonnage decline can be attributed to the economy, a certain
portion of tonnage that previously went to publicly operated landfills has been redirected to privately
operated facilities. Private companies have the ability to “internalize” their collection and landfill
operations. By utilizing their own available disposal capacity instead of taking their waste to landfills
owned by others, they are able to maximize capacity and revenue at their own landfills. Increased costs to
transport waste to more distant landfills under their ownership can be offset by charging themselves
reduced tipping fees. Without control and tonnage commitment, the Sanitation Districts are unable to
internalize collection and disposal costs that other private waste management companies have been able
to do. Meanwhile, the tipping fees at the Puente Hills Landfill has increased from $22.65 per ton in 2005
to $38.26 per ton in 2011 to pay for increases in state and local fees as well as to set aside monies for the
Cost Transition Program.
16
Table 4: Summary of Disposal at Sanitation Districts’ Operated Landfills (tpd-6)*
Year
Calabasas1
Puente Hills
Scholl Canyon2
2005
1,783
12,624
1,461
2006
1,634
12,332
1,441
2007
1,497
12,117
1,291
2008
1,191
10,161
1,089
2009
883
8,510
830
2010**
843
6,287
809
Overall Trend from 2005 –
-53%
-50%
-45%
June 2010
Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Facilities, County of Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works. Tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating per year.
** Through September 30, 2010, assuming 232 operating days.
1
Calabasas Landfill is prohibited by County ordinance from accepting waste including tires from outside of the wasteshed
area composed of the incorporated cities of (service area) Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks;
that portion of the City of Los Angeles bordered by the northerly line of Township 2 North on the north, Interstate Highway
405 on the east, Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the city boundary on the west; and certain
unincorporated areas in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
2
An ordinance passed by the City of Glendale limits disposal at the landfill to solid wastes generated within the Los Angeles
County incorporated cities of Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre; the Los
Angeles County unincorporated communities known as Altadena, La Crescenta, Montrose; the unincorporated area bordered
by the cities of San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, and Pasadena; the unincorporated area immediately to the
north of Arcadia, and Pasadena; and the unincorporated area immediately to the north of the City of San Marino bordered by
the City of Pasadena on the west, north and east sides.
4. Impacts to Cost Transition Program
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 50% since
2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente
Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted in
reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
The drop in tonnage at Puente Hills Landfill from fiscal year 2007/08 to 2008/09 resulted in a loss of
approximately $186 million in tipping fees. With a potentially slow economic recovery, it is uncertain if
tonnage levels at the Puente Hills Landfill will ever return to pre-recession levels and the loss may
continue until the Puente Hills Landfill closes in November 1, 2013. With a set closure date, capacity not
consumed at the Puente Hills Landfill will remain unrecoverable. Funding for the Cost Transition
Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in
tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill resulted in reduced funding to the Cost Transition
Program. Currently, the Sanitation Districts have set aside adequate funding to construct the
infrastructures needed to operate a waste-by-rail system. The Sanitation Districts will continue to monitor
the funding and the accuracy of the program and evaluate the program’s ability to keep tipping fees for
the waste-by-rail system competitive.
17
STATUS REPORT ON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM AND
THE EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
REPORT NO. 30
APRIL 2011
COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
1955 WORKMAN MILL ROAD
WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA 90601
STEPHEN R. MAGUIN
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GENERAL MANAGER
This page is intentionally left blank.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PURPOSE ..........................................................................................................................1
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY.........................1
III.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED ..................................................................................1
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ..................................................................... 2
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT ......................... 2
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES................................ 3
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES .............................. 3
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE .................................... 5
1.
2.
C
IV.
Purpose .......................................................................................................... 6
Technologies Under Evaluation .................................................................... 6
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ......... 7
WASTE-BY-RAIL ............................................................................................................ 9
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES ............................................................................. 9
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES ........................................ 9
1.
2.
3.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS...............................................................12
1.
2.
D
Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill..........................................10
An Operational Remote Landfill..................................................................10
Truck Haul ...................................................................................................10
Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System..........................................................11
Mesquite Regional Landfill..........................................................................12
Eagle Mountain Landfill..............................................................................12
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ......13
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility....................................................13
Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility ..............................13
South Gate Transfer Station ........................................................................13
Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations...................................................13
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility .................................................................13
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process ................................14
Project Features ...........................................................................................14
Design ..........................................................................................................14
Construction.................................................................................................15
Remaining Work and Approval...................................................................16
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD ...............................16
F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM ...............................................................................17
1.
2.
Cost Transition Program Implementation...................................................17
Current Disposal and Market Conditions ...................................................17
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.
4.
Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions ............................18
Impacts to Cost Transition Program ...........................................................18
ii
I.
PURPOSE
This report is prepared pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) No. 02-027-(4), which requires the Sanitation Districts to prepare and submit quarterly reports,
detailing the status of the waste-by-rail developments and other new waste management processes, to the
Director of Public Works for review and comment. This is Report No. 30. This report will describe the
Sanitation Districts’ ongoing efforts on the implementation of a waste-by-rail system and the progress
made by the Alternative Technology Advisory Committee that was formed in accordance with Condition
No. 24(c) of the CUP. Discussion of background information and completed projects can be found in
previous reports or has been condensed in this report.
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Currently, there are seven major landfills permitted to accept solid waste in Los Angeles County; five are
located in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and two are located in the Antelope Valley. A major landfill
is defined as a facility that is permitted to receive at least 500 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per
day. Four sites are privately owned and operated and three are operated by the Sanitation Districts. In
addition, there are four minor landfills and two refuse-to-energy facilities in Los Angeles County.
Pursuant to Section 41821 of the Public Resources Code, Los Angeles County is required to submit a
report to the CalRecycle (formerly California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB))
summarizing the adequacy of the siting element and summary plan. The report discusses any changes in
disposal capacity, disposal facilities, or any other relevant issues. Previously, future disposal and capacity
needs have been presented in this report in a format used by the Sanitation Districts to project when
remote landfill capacity might be needed. Since the report from Department of Public Works presents
disposal and capacity data in a different format than the format used by Sanitation Districts, this report
has been revised to include only data from County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works for
consistency purposes.
In 2010, Los Angeles County disposed of 8.9 million tons or 28,637 tons per day of solid waste based on
six operating days (tpd-6) at Class III landfills and transformation facilities located in and out of the
County. Of this amount, approximately 79%, or 22,559 tons per day (tpd), were handled by waste
management facilities located within Los Angeles County.
Table 1: 2010 Disposal Tonnage
Annual Disposal (tons)
In-County Class III Landfills
Transformation Facilities
Exports to Out-of-County Landfills
Total Disposed
6,403,836
589,246
1,884,302
8,877,384
Average Daily Disposal
(Based on six operating days)
20,658
1,901
6,078
28,637
* Data from Monthly Solid Waste Disposal Quantity Summary, County of Los Angeles Department of Public
Works, March 2011. Assumes 310 operating days in 2010.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED
The latest comparison of daily disposal demand and available capacity is presented in the County of Los
Angeles, Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) 2009 Annual Report, dated February
2011. Under Scenario I – Status Quo in Appendix E-3, the disposal capacity shortfall is expected to occur
beginning in 2014 at 4,038 tpd. This scenario assumed that the Puente Hills Landfill would accept 7,750
DMS# 1863990
1
April 2011
to 8,380 tpd between 2009 and 2013 before the landfill closes due to permit expiration. The Puente Hills
Landfill currently accepts only 5,500 tpd and is estimated to have approximately 18.4 million cubic yards
of remaining capacity at closure, which is equivalent to 71 months of disposal capacity at the current rate.
Regardless of the remaining capacity at the Puente Hills Landfill, if landfill diversion continues to
increase, alternative technologies are implemented, or any of the proposed landfill expansions are granted,
the disposal capacity shortfall will likely to occur well beyond 2014.
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The CIWMP 2009 Annual Report showed that Los Angeles County would experience a disposal shortfall
in 2014 under the status-quo scenario. While there is adequate disposal capacity within the region; it is
unlikely that customers will pay the higher cost of transporting waste over a 200-mile distance from Los
Angeles County to the Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) via rail or truck. Therefore, the utilization of
waste-by-rail is not anticipated prior to 2013. The waste-by-rail system will be operational in 2012, prior
to the projected disposal shortfall, should there be a need to use the waste-by-rail system. Therefore
although the Sanitation Districts have committed significant resources and finances to the waste-by-rail
system, it does not appear the system is required until at least 2013. At that point, the waste-by-rail
system should be operational along with the option of truck hauling to the MRL.
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
The Puente Hills Landfill provides beneficial reuse of a number of materials that might otherwise be
disposed. Many jurisdictions have come to rely on the Sanitation Districts’ landfill diversion programs,
especially the green waste program, as critical elements of their recycling programs. The largest quantities
of beneficially reused materials are clean soil, green waste, asphalt and treated incinerator ash. The
Sanitation Districts are evaluating alternatives that would provide for the continued beneficial reuse of
some of these materials after the closure of the Puente Hills Landfill.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 2,800 tpd of clean soil during the first quarter 2011.
This material is principally used for daily cover and interim cover. After closure, the landfill will
continue to have needs for clean soil to use for maintenance of roads, benches and final cover. Significant
settlement is expected to occur during the first 30 years of postclosure and clean soil will be needed for a
number of uses including fill to maintain grade of the final cover for storm water drainage. Soil needs at
the site during postclosure will be less than the current use and should decrease over time. Because clean
soil is normally in demand throughout the County at a number of different sites, “soil brokers” and dirt
hauling companies will find other more cost-effective options besides the Puente Hills Landfill. The
Sanitation Districts will work with the haulers as closure nears and onsite soil demands decline to prepare
them to redirect their loads to other locations.
Approximately 830 tpd of green waste was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the first quarter
2011. Most of this material is beneficially reused as alternative daily cover material (ADC). The
Sanitation Districts have been evaluating alternative green waste management options besides the Puente
Hills Landfill. There are a number of existing MRFs and transfer facilities that process green waste for
diversion. Many of these facilities currently transport their processed green waste to the Puente Hills
Landfill. These facilities could transfer their material to more remote beneficial use sites after the Puente
Hills Landfill closes. The Sanitation Districts alternative analysis will study the capacity of existing and
proposed facilities to manage this material. Early results of the study indicate that existing facilities will
have capacity to receive and transfer the material from the Puente Hills Landfill to alternative locations.
Sanitation Districts’ staff has contacted several facility operators who indicated that they are planning
alternatives to the Puente Hills Landfill.
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Approximately 900 tpd of asphalt was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the first quarter 2011.
This material is beneficially reused as road base or as base for winter deck operating areas. It is
anticipated that some ground asphalt will continue to be used at the site after closure for maintenance of
site roads. However, similar to clean soil, recycled asphalt is normally in demand throughout the County.
The Sanitation Districts will work with the asphalt haulers as closure nears and onsite needs decline to
prepare them to redirect their loads to other locations.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 500 tpd of treated incinerator ash from Commerce and
Southeast Resource Recovery refuse-to-energy facilities during the first quarter 2011. This material is
used as road base for winter deck operating areas. The Sanitation Districts are working with several
vendors to determine the feasibility of various alternatives for reusing ash. Formulation and testing of
potential products is on going.
III.
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
This section tracks the alternative waste management facilities, designed to use MSW as feedstock that
are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States and describes the ongoing efforts
by the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee to advance the development of alternative waste
management facilities.
In April 2009, the CIWMB published a report, Conversion Technologies Status Update Survey, to
identify conversion technologies that are operating commercially viable facilities. CIWMB received 23
responses from the 83 companies surveyed. Five respondents claimed to have commercialized MSW
conversion technology facilities. Of the commercialized facilities that convert MSW, two use gasification
systems and three use anaerobic digestion facilities. None of the commercialized facilities process MSW
in California and there are no commercial or anaerobic digestion systems in the United States processing
MSW.
To encourage the use of conversion technology, CIWMB published a guidance document in
October 2009, How Anaerobic Digestion Fits Current Board Regulatory Structure, to assist operators in
determining the level of permitting or authorization required for a project involving anaerobic digestion.
To further promote the use of anaerobic digestion in managing solid waste, CalRecycle (formerly
CIWMB) prepared a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess the potential impacts from
the development of anaerobic digestion facilities in California. The Program EIR was released for public
review and comment through April 4, 2011.
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Currently, there are several alternative waste management facilities, designed to use MSW as feedstock,
that are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States. These facilities are briefly
discussed in this section.
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Powers Energy One – Schneider, Indiana:
Process up to 10,000 tons per day of MSW.
Produce 70 gallons of ethanol per ton of waste processed.
To be owned by Lake County but operated, maintained, and privately funded by Powers Energy.
Reached an agreement with three construction firms to build the $254 million bioethanol plant in
October 2010 1 .
Quasar Energy – Columbus, Ohio:
Process approximately 150 wet tons per day of sewage sludge and 8,000 tons of fats, oils and
grease, with a maximum input of 14,000 dry tons of sludge per year.
Produce an average of 12 million British Thermal Units per hour of biogas 2 .
Began construction on May 3, 2010.
Masada – Middletown, New York (Orange Recycling and Ethanol Production Facility):
Permitted to accept 800 tons of MSW per day.
Designed to convert 230,000 tons of MSW per year and 73,000 (dry) tons of sewage sludge into
approximately 9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year.
Construction held up by arbitration on a contract dispute between Middletown and Masada 3 .
Greenhunter – El Centro, California (Mesquite Lake Resource Recovery Plant):
Process about 280,000 tons of cow-manure and wood waste annually to produce 27MW of
electricity upon build-out.
Received approximately $30 million in tax-exempt bonds issued through the California
Enterprise Development Authority in November 2010 for facility refurbishment.
Phase I of the project, which includes demolition of the existing structures, installation of new
more efficient components, and rehabilitation of existing foundation, structures and equipment,
is anticipated to be operational in December 2011.
Phase II of the project, which will add 10MW of generation capacity, is anticipated to be
complete by mid 2012.
EnerTech Environmental, Inc. – Rialto, California:
Designed to handle 883 wet tons per day of biosolids and produce approximately 167 tons per
day of renewable fuel.
Began initial start-up on October 15, 2008 and was operating at 60 pecent of its capacity in June
2009.
Currently processes about 270,000 tons of biosolids per day for five municipalities in Southern
California.
Geoplasma - St. Lucie County, Florida:
Design to process up to 600 tons of MSW per day at a 100,000 square foot, plasma-arc
gasification facility and produce up to 22 megawatt of electricity.
Received air permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in June 2010.
Anticipates facility operations as early as March 2013. 4
World Waste Technologies, Inc. – Anaheim, California:
Constructed a 500-tons per day autoclave facility that converts MSW into separable components
of sterilized organic and inorganic materials.
1
Post-Tribune, “Developer Signs Contractors to Build Its Bioethanol Plant”, October 2, 2010.
Ohio EPA News Release, “Ohio EPA Issues Final Water Permits for Biogas Production Facility in Columbus”,
June 23, 2009.
3
Mid Hudson News, “Future of Masada May Hinge on Who Is in City Hall”, October 5, 2009.
4
TC Palm, “State Environmental Permits OK’d for Trash-Zapping Plant in St. Lucie”, June 17, 2010.
2
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Facility has been in operation since June 2006.
BlueFire Renewables - Lancaster, California:
Convert up to 170 tons per day of green and wood waste into 3.2 million gallon of ethanol per
year.
Received final environmental permits to construct the facility in February 2009.
Construction pending final funding.
BlueFire Renewables – Fulton, Mississippi:
Produce 19 million gallons of ethanol per year from woody biomass, mill residue, and sorted
MSW.
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact (Finding) for the project on June 4, 2010.
BlueFire signed a Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract with Wanzek
Construction, Inc. (subsidiary of MasTec) in October 2010.
Began clearing, rough grading and drainage of the construction site in November 2010.
Agresti Biofuels – Pike County, Kentucky (Central Appalachian Ethanol plant):
Convert up to 1,500 tons per day of MSW at full capacity to ethanol using an acid hydrolysis
system.
Design and construction pending funding. Phase 1, at $13 million, will get the facility
operational, with the overall project to cost $200 million.
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE
In accordance with Condition No. 24 (c) of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP No. 02-027-(4), the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee was formed as a subcommittee within the Los Angeles County Solid
Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The current members of the
Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee are shown in Table 2.
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Table 2: Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee Membership
Association
Member Name
1.
Hacienda Heights Improvement Association
Jeff Yann
2.
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Jacques Franco
3.
Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force
Eugene Sun
4.
Department of Public Works
Paul Alva, alternate Coby
Skye
5.
Department of Health Services
John Kaddis, alternates Jose
Reynoso
and
Thomas
White
6.
Sanitation Districts
Mark McDannel, alternate
Robert Ferrante
7.
Optional Appointee #1 (Bioenergy Producers Association)
Dr. Kay Martin
8.
Optional Appointee #2 (Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Mike Mohajer
Management Task Force)
9.
Optional Appointee #3 (City of Los Angeles)
Alex
Helou,
Miguel Zermeno
10.
Optional Appointee #4 (Eugene Tseng and Associates)
Eugene Tseng
11.
Republic-Allied Waste
Rafael Garcia
12.
North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Wayde Hunter
alternate
In addition to the funding from the Puente Hills Landfill, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
approved the Replacement CUP for the Sunshine Canyon Landfill on February 6, 2007, which contained
provisions for an annual funding of up to $200,000 for conversion technology research. The funds would
be used to study alternative technology and develop a pilot scale facility. Representatives from the North
Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens and Republic-Allied Waste were added to the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee.
1. Purpose
The primary purpose of the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee is to evaluate and promote
the development of conversion technologies to reduce dependence on landfills and incinerators. The
Subcommittee will assist in the preparation of the scope of work for a consultant to evaluate conversion
technologies best suited for the Southern California area, review and implement the recommendations of
the studies, and to develop strategies to promote conversion technology. The Sanitation Districts may
provide additional funding, subject to approval by its Board of Directors, to develop a pilot scale facility
if it is deemed feasible by the Subcommittee and is approved by the Director of Public Works.
2. Technologies Under Evaluation
To fulfill the task of finding a conversion technology that is suitable for development at one of the local
materials recovery/transfer facilities, the Subcommittee retained URS to prepare a Phase I Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report. The Report discussed and ranked conversion technologies, evaluated
local MRFs suitability for conversion technologies, and provided recommendations for moving forward
with implementation. The Report also included the Strategic Action Plan, Public Outreach Plan, Market
Analysis, and Siting Analysis as appendices. Subsequently, the Subcommittee awarded a contract to
Cerrell Associates to develop the stakeholder database, the conversion technology website and other
related outreach materials.
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The Department of Public Works retained Alternative Resources, Inc. (ARI) for Phase II activities related
to a continuation of the evaluation of technology suppliers and host sites. ARI prepared a Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report – Phase II Assessment Report that recommended a conversion technology
to be incorporated into an existing MRF, which was approved by the Subcommittee on October 18, 2007.
The Subcommittee launched the new County Conversion Technology website on September 20, 2007.
The website address is www.socalconversion.org. As the next step in advancing the development of a
conversion technology demonstration facility, the Department of Public Works issued a Request for
Offers (RFO) for a proposed project in January 2008 and held a mandatory pre-offer meeting in February
2008. Offers were received in August 2008 and have been reviewed by an Evaluation Committee
comprised of a subset of Subcommittee members. DPW staff has completed negotiations with the teams
whose Offers were rated as qualified. The Memoranda of Understanding with the vendors were approved
by the County Board of Supervisors at their April 20, 2010 meeting and County staff is currently working
with the teams to develop the projects.
In November 2007, the County issued a RFP for Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility,
and Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County, of the Conversion Technology
Project. A pre-proposal meeting was held on December 15, 2008. Five proposals were received on
January 2009 and reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Subcommittee members. The
selection committee recommended the selection of Alternative Resources Inc. (ARI). A contract with
ARI was approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Board’s April 20, 2010 meeting.
The Subcommittee meetings are held monthly, typically on the 3rd Thursday of the month. The last
meeting was held on March 17, 2011.
C
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
In addition to active participation in the Subcommittee, the Sanitation Districts are prepared to assist the
County in pursuit of legislation to support the development of conversion technology projects. The
Sanitation Districts have reviewed legislation introduced in the 2011-12 legislative session but to date
have not identified any bills designed to promote or remove barriers to the development of conversion
technology projects. The Sanitation Districts will continue to assist the County in promoting such
legislation.
The Sanitation Districts continue its ongoing activities to review conversion technologies and potential
applications to the Sanitation Districts’ needs. The Sanitation Districts staff visited the Plasma Waste
Recycling (PWR) in Huntsville, Alabama in January 2010 and a demonstration of Comprehensive
Resources’ autoclaving technology at the Crazy Horse Landfill in Salinas, California in March 2010.
Both technologies are in the developmental stage. The Sanitation Districts have determined that there is
currently no applicability to the Sanitation Districts’ needs, but will continue to track these technologies.
Lastly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Memoranda of Understanding between
the County and demonstration project developers on April 20, 2010. The demonstration projects include
an anaerobic digestion project in Perris, a gasification project in Huntington Beach, and a pyrolysis
project in Riverside. No project sites in Los Angeles County were identified, although County staff will
continue to evaluate potential facilities. The following is an excerpt of the April 2011 Department of
Public Works’ Six Month Status Update on the development of the conversation technology projects.
“CR&R, Inc. - CR&R, Inc., a local solid waste management company, is developing a 150 ton
per day anaerobic digestion project at its material recovery facility (MRF) and transfer station
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Although the project will be initially developed to process 150 tons per day of MRF residuals,
CR&R, Inc., envisions future expansion. Continued success will enable this project to be the first
large-size demonstration facility operating in Southern California. Over the next six months,
Public Works will complete its own economic analysis to assess the economic advantages of
expanding the facility. Public Works will also continue to support CR&R, Inc., as it seeks and
evaluates additional funding opportunities. Similarly, within the framework of the MOU, Public
Works will monitor and support CR&R, Inc.’s other development activities, including in the near
term, permitting and public outreach activities.
Rainbow Disposal Company, Inc. - As currently planned, the facility will be sited at Rainbow's
Huntington Beach MRF/TS. Under the terms of Rainbow’s MOU with the County, the facility
will be designed with an initial capacity of 360 tons per day, with an expansion capability of up to
1,000 tons per day. It will process MRF residuals as well as post-recycled municipal solid waste
that would otherwise be landfilled. The energy product of the facility will be electric power.
Rainbow has been continuing to address technical and economic aspects of its CT project. A
particular hurdle for the project is a significant reduction in the anticipated volume of waste at the
Huntington Beach MRF/TS since the MOU was signed. Public Works and Rainbow are
continuing to collaborate and communicate on this demonstration project. The next meeting is
planned for May 2011 to review and assess the status of project development activities.
International Environmental Solutions, Inc. (IES) - The IES facility will use its proprietary lowtemperature advanced pyrolysis technology to convert solid waste feedstock into a synthesis gas
that will be used to generate electric power. As envisioned under IES’s MOU with the County,
the facility will have an initial capacity of 184 tons per day, which could be expanded in the
future, and will be located at the Robert A. Nelson TS and MRF (RAN) in Riverside County. The
MOU anticipated the IES demonstration project to be phased-in with an initial testing period
processing 35 tons per day of MRF residuals and/or post-recycled waste from RAN at IES’s
facility in Menifee (formerly, Romoland). Following successful completion of the testing phase,
IES would develop and install the project at RAN. The testing phase has not yet been conducted.
Since approval of the MOU, the system in Menifee was contracted to a private company on a
lease/purchase arrangement and relocated to Mecca, California for commercial application
processing tires. As a result of this change, Public Works and IES are jointly exploring other
potential options to conduct the test phase of this demonstration project.”
At the April 20, 2010 meeting, Supervisor Yaroslavsky also made a motion directing Department of
Public Works to coordinate with appropriate stakeholders, including the Sanitation Districts and other
appropriate County departments, to assess the feasibility of developing a conversion technology facility at
one or more County landfills. Department of Public Works would report its findings regarding the
development a conversion technology facility at a landfill in the County and identification of other
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potentially suitable sites within Los Angeles County to the Board of Supervisors within six months. The
motion was also passed by the Board of Supervisors. On October 20, 2010, the Department of Public
Works submitted a Preliminary Conversion Technology Site Assessment to the Board of Supervisors.
The Assessment, based on input from eleven stakeholders representing cities, solid waste companies, and
industrial real estate developers within Los Angeles County, identified 16 potential sites for conversion
technology facility. The potential sites are located at: four existing landfills (Calabasas, Lancaster,
Pebbly Beach, and Scholl Canyon), three materials recovery and transfer facilities (Paramount Resource
Recycling, Grand Central Recycling and Transfer Station, and Waste Resources Recovery), and nine
other sites. The County will continue to work with the stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing
these locations as potential conversion technology facility sites.
IV.
WASTE-BY-RAIL
Although the potential for conversion technologies to play a role in waste management exists, several
obstacles must be overcome before any of the processes can be relied upon on a large scale. As such, the
Sanitation Districts have worked diligently to implement a waste-by-rail system that would ensure that
the County would have long-term disposal capacity when in-county landfill disposal capacity diminishes.
This section describes the Sanitation Districts’ efforts to implement a waste-by-rail system.
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES
Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP requires the Sanitation Districts to consult with
Department of Public Works regarding the planning and development of the waste-by-rail system and to
meet several milestones in the implementation of a waste-by-rail system.
By December 31, 2007, the Sanitation Districts shall commence the development of at least one
remote waste-by-rail landfill.
By December 31, 2008, at least one of the remote landfills shall be fully operational.
By December 31, 2009, the waste-by-rail system shall be operational.
The Sanitation Districts must meet these milestones in order to maintain the 13,200 tons per day
maximum allowable tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill. If the Sanitation Districts were unsuccessful in
meeting the milestones, the allowable daily tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill could be reduced by:
2,000 tons per day if the development of a remote landfill has not commenced by December 31, 2007;
1,000 tons per day if a remote landfill is not operational by December 31, 2008; and
2,000 tons per day if a waste-by-rail system is not fully operational by December 31, 2009.
The Director of Public Works has the discretion to waive the reduction in daily tonnage if the Director of
Public Works finds that the Sanitation Districts are making best faith efforts to comply with the
implementation schedule, and the lack of compliance is through no fault of the Sanitation Districts.
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES
This section describes the ongoing efforts by the Sanitation Districts in attaining the waste-by-rail
implementation goals established in the Puente Hills Landfill CUP.
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1. Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill
The Sanitation Districts have achieved and met the first milestone of commencing development of at least
one remote waste-by-rail landfill by December 31, 2007. As detailed in Section C – Development of
Remote Landfills, the Sanitation Districts began final design of essential infrastructures at the MRL in
2005. The following construction projects were completed prior to December 31, 2007:
Installation of perimeter fencing to facilitate desert tortoise clearance and monitoring in
compliance with the Biological Mitigation and Monitoring Plan,
Installation of groundwater monitoring wells for the initial phase of the landfill,
Construction of a 2-million gallon aboveground water tank,
Installation of pipeline and electrical cable between the Mesquite Mine water supply line and the
MRL water storage tank to provide water and power for the construction and operation of the
landfill,
Construction of roads and drainage structures.
2. An Operational Remote Landfill
The second milestone was achieved by having an operational remote landfill by December 31, 2008
through construction of all essential facilities. Facilities essential to the startup of operations include
water, power, communications, drainage, environmental control systems, and operational facilities. A
letter was sent to Department of Public Works on December 24, 2008, informing them that the Sanitation
Districts met the second milestone of having a remote landfill operational by December 31, 2008. The
Department of Public Works sent a letter to the Sanitation Districts on March 24, 2009, concurring with
this determination.
Truck Haul
In February 2007, the Sanitation Districts submitted an application to Imperial County to amend the MRL
CUP for the ability to receive up to 4,000 tons per day of MSW by truck. The ability to receive waste by
truck from Los Angeles County will allow the Sanitation Districts to commence operations of the MRL,
prior to the completion of the needed waste-by-rail infrastructure in 2012. Once the waste-by-rail system
is operational, the ability to receive waste by truck will provide operational flexibility with the ability to
ramp up until enough tonnage is received to make up a unit train 5 . Initially, it is not likely that large
amounts of Imperial County MSW will be delivered to the site due to the availability of other existing
disposal options. Thus, truck haul of MSW originating from Los Angeles County would be the most
viable method of delivering waste for disposal at the MRL during this initial period.
Imperial County has discretionary approval authority for the proposed amendment and, therefore, is
responsible for determining the type of environmental document required, preparing the document, and
acting as lead agency for the proposed amendment. On July 18, 2007, Imperial County Planning and
Development Services (ICPDS) issued a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Subsequent Environmental
Impact Report (DSEIR) for the MRL CUP that would address the potential impacts related to the
proposed project changes of transporting up to 4,000 tpd of waste by truck in lieu of by train. A public
DSEIR scoping meeting was held on August 23, 2007. ICPDS released a DSEIR for the project on June
8, 2010 and received comments on the DSEIR through July 29, 2010. The DSEIR determined that the
project would result in a significant and unavoidable impact for greenhouse gas. ICPDS issued a Notice
of Availability of the FSEIR on October 6, 2010 and recommended approval of the CUP to the Board of
Supervisors on February 9, 2011. The Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the project on April
5, 2011, and subsequently certified the FSEIR, adopted findings of fact and statement of overriding
5
Based on previous studies, the optimal capacity of a unit train consists of approximately 4,000 tons of
containerized waste.
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considerations, and approved the CUP. Prior to initiation of truck hauling to the MRL, the Sanitation
Districts must obtain a revised Solid Waste Facility Permit (SWFP) from CalRecycle/Local Enforcement
Agency.
3. Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System
The Sanitation Districts prepared “Progress Report on the Development of a Waste-by-Rail System”
(Progress Report) and circulated it to various stakeholders for review in November 2009. The Progress
Report documented major accomplishments by the Sanitation Districts and obstacles encountered during
the implementation a waste-by-rail system and stated that the construction was on going with expected
completion in 2012. Based on the Sanitation Districts’ demonstrated best-faith efforts toward
implementing waste-by-rail, the Los Angeles County Director of Public Works granted a waiver of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP milestone that would reduce the daily tonnage into the landfill if a waste-byrail system was not operational by the end of 2009. As a condition of that waiver, the Department of
Public Works directed the Sanitation Districts to submit annual updates to the Progress Report. In
compliance with the condition, the Sanitation Districts submitted an update to the Progress Report to the
stakeholders for review on October 15, 2010. A summary of the major accomplishments and obstacles
towards the development of a waste-by-rail system as described in the Progress Report is provided below:
The Sanitation Districts acquired the MRL in 2002 and completed construction of the facility in
compliance with the CUP milestone to have a remote landfill operational by the end of 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began its efforts to identify a property in the vicinity of the Puente Hills MRF
that could be developed as a dedicated waste-by-rail loading facility prior to the issuance of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP. In November 2004, the Sanitation Districts successfully negotiated an
option to purchase a property for development as a dedicated intermodal facility. The permitting and
environmental review process for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) property took more
than three years to complete and a land use permit was issued June 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began on-going discussions with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the
waste-by-rail system and the potential use of existing UPRR intermodal facilities to serve the system
in 2002. The Sanitation Districts diligently negotiated with UPRR; however, it took until mid-2009
before an agreement could be reached with UPRR that would commit them to serving the project.
Numerous technical challenges have lengthened the design process to more than three years,
including a design change requested by UPRR after the EIR was certified and 80% of the track design
was completed, significant coordination with SCE over relocation of their facilities to be impacted by
the PHIMF development and an extensive review and approval process with California Department of
Transportation for modification of the SR-60 bridge.
Demolition of existing building for the PHIMF was completed in January 2010 and the construction
of Workman Mill Road and access roads for the PHIMF are estimated to be complete in
December 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $36 million construction contract for the rail spur and intermodal
facility at the MRL in March 2010 and an $79 million construction contract for the most ambitious
portion of the PHIMF in August 2010.
The Sanitation Districts entered into an Industry Track Agreement with UPRR for the construction of
the rail spur at the MRL in June 2010 and entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR identifying
work to be completed within the UPRR right-of-way for the PHIMF in October 2010.
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To date, the Sanitation Districts have expended significant funds, approximately $417 million, to
develop a waste-by-rail system. The construction schedule indicates that a complete waste-by-rail
system will be ready for operations in 2012, prior to the expiration of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP
in November 2013.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS
Within California, there are two landfills that are designed and permitted to receive waste via rail: the
MRL in Imperial County and the Eagle Mountain Landfill site in Riverside County. In August 2000, the
Sanitation Districts entered into purchase agreements with the respective owners of each of these sites.
1. Mesquite Regional Landfill
The Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) is located on 4,245 acres of land in Imperial County, about 35
miles east of the nearest town of Brawley and about 220 miles southeast of the metropolitan Los Angeles
area. The MRL is fully permitted as a Class III landfill that can accept residual MSW transported from
Southern California communities by rail and transported from Imperial County jurisdictions by transfer
trucks. The approved landfill footprint of 2,290 acres will provide capacity for approximately 600 million
tons of residual MSW and 100 years of operation. The site is permitted to receive a maximum of
20,000 tpd.
As of December 24, 2008, all infrastructures required for the MRL to be operational have been
constructed. The current activities related to the MRL include ongoing biological monitoring activities,
design and construction of the MRL railyard, and continued public outreach efforts, such as one-on-one
meetings, presentations and event attendance.
On January 13, 2010, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $36 million contract to Coffman
Specialties, Inc. for construction of the Mesquite Regional Landfill Rail Spur and Intermodal Yard–Stage
I. Additionally, a $1.4-million contract was awarded to Wilson and Company, Inc., for design support
during construction. Construction began in March 2010 and is scheduled to be complete in October 2011.
2. Eagle Mountain Landfill
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is located approximately 175 miles east of Los Angeles and 12 miles
north of the Interstate Highway 10 at Desert Center, in Riverside County. The Eagle Mountain Landfill
site has a total capacity of 708 million tons and is currently permitted to accept up to 460 million tons.
Initially, up to 10,000 tpd of MSW may be disposed at the site. After ten years of operations, the operator
may request to increase the daily tonnage rate to 20,000 tpd. The property totals 4,643 acres and the
landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of the property.
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is designed to be primarily a waste-by-rail facility. At full operation, an
average of five trains per day would arrive at the site via the UPRR main line, which extends from Los
Angeles to Ferrum Junction. The Eagle Mountain Landfill site has an existing 52-mile private railroad
that would be utilized to transport refuse from Ferrum Junction to the site.
Completion of the purchase of the site is dependent upon the resolution of the federal litigation. In early
2011, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear the Kaiser Ventures Inc. appeal. As a result, Kaiser
Ventures Inc. will need to resolve the problems identified by the Ninth District Court of Appeals decision
in November 2009. These include an expansion of the project alternatives discussion, a complete
discussion of eutrophication and identification of an appropriate process for valuing the public land
needed for the project.
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D
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The local components of the waste-by-rail system will be comprised of MRFs/transfer stations and
intermodal rail yards. With respect to MRF/transfer stations, the Sanitation Districts have completed the
construction of the Puente Hills MRF. The Sanitation Districts own and operate the South Gate Transfer
Station and the Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility.
1. Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility
The Puente Hills MRF is located in unincorporated Los Angeles County near the western end of the City
of Industry on approximately 25 acres of land. The MRF is permitted to receive its design capacity of a
maximum of 4,400 tons of waste per day or a maximum of 24,000 tons per week. The facility has been
designed to recover approximately 15 percent of the waste that is processed. Residual waste from the
MRF is transported via transfer trucks to a local landfill. When the waste-by-rail system is operational,
the residual waste from the MRF will be trucked to a local intermodal rail yard for transport via rail to a
remote landfill for disposal.
The MRF was completed in June 2005. The facility has state-of-the-art environmental control and
sustainable design features, including visual screening, odor and dust control system, the use of recycled
construction materials and reclaimed water, and a liquefied natural gas facility. The MRF officially
opened to the public on July 11, 2005.
2. Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility
In August 2000, the Sanitation Districts purchased the DART Facility from DART Inc. for approximately
$24 million. The DART Facility is located on a 6.2-acre site in the City of Downey, west of the San
Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and south of Firestone Boulevard. It is permitted to receive, handle and
process up to 5,000 tons of waste per day. It has been in operation since 1997.
3. South Gate Transfer Station
The Sanitation Districts have been the owner and operator of the South Gate Transfer Station since its
construction in 1958. It is located on a 4.5-acre site in the City of South Gate, east of the Long Beach
Freeway (I-710) at the Firestone Boulevard exit. It is permitted to accept 1,000 ton of non-hazardous
MSW per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
4. Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations
As local disposal capacity diminishes, privately owned MRFs and transfer stations may elect to utilize
local rail yards to transport waste to the remote landfills and become a part of the waste-by-rail system.
The Sanitation Districts will work with any entities that wish to utilize the waste-by-rail system.
5. Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
As described above, the use of a local rail yard is an essential component of the waste-by-rail system.
Rail access to both the MRL and the Eagle Mountain Landfill is provided through the use of a rail line
owned by the UPRR. The Sanitation Districts are constructing a dedicated local railyard – the PHIMF –
in the City of Industry to serve as the final component of the waste-by-rail system.
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Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process
On November 11, 2004, the Sanitation Districts reached agreements with the City of Industry and the
City of Industry Redevelopment Agency to secure the purchase of 17 acres adjacent to the UPRR for the
development of a dedicated, local intermodal facility to serve the waste-by-rail system.
The City of Industry is the local land use permitting agency and the lead agency pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act. On June 12, 2008, following a public hearing on the matter, the City of
Industry City Council adopted a resolution to certify the Final EIR and adopt Findings of Fact, Statement
of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring Program. The City Council also approved
Development Plan conditions for the project. On June 26, 2008, the City of Industry Planning
Commission approved the issuance of a CUP for the project.
On March 12, 2009, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve an addendum
to the PHIMF EIR for project modifications involving track infrastructure within UPRR right-of-way and
a Development Agreement for the PHIMF. The City Council held a public meeting on the matter on
March 26, 2009, and subsequently adopted the ordinance to approve the Development Agreement on
April 9, 2009. The Sanitation Districts purchased the properties needed to construct the PHIMF and the
access corridor on May 8, 2009.
Project Features
The PHIMF will include three main features: 1) an intermodal facility to support the loading/unloading
of up to two dedicated waste-by-rail trains per day; 2) access to and from the site from the Puente Hills
MRF; and 3) rail improvements to allow the efficient operation of the intermodal facility. The intermodal
facility will consist of six-onsite rail loading tracks to support a two-train per day operation, three
maintenance tracks to service and fuel locomotives, a container storage area, an administration building,
maintenance facilities, and employee/visitor parking areas. The off-street access road will be constructed
by raising the grade of Workman Mill Road, which will involve reconfiguring a storm drain, relocating
several underground utilities and constructing a sewer siphon. The rail improvements within UPRR rightof-way will consist of a new arrival/departure track along a 3.5-mile corridor between Mission Mill Road
and Seventh Avenue. Other improvements within the right-of-way include constructing two new bridges,
modifying two existing bridges, and installing ancillary structures, such as switches and signals. The
development of an intermodal facility at this location requires the demolition of an existing 457,000
square foot warehouse. The intermodal facility on the site is designed to handle up to 2 trains per day, or
approximately 8,000 tpd of refuse. At its permitted capacity, the Puente Hills MRF could produce
approximately 4,000 tpd of residual waste, as a result, the facility would have capacity to receive rail
ready shipping containers from other materials recovery facilities.
Design
Shortly after the Sanitation Districts entered into agreements to purchase the PHIMF property in 2004, the
Sanitation Districts awarded a $2.3 million contract for preliminary design of the PHIMF. During
preliminary design, the consultant evaluated the feasibility of constructing an off-street access between
the Puente Hills MRF and the PHIMF, identified the critical design elements related to the project, and
provided technical information needed for the environmental analysis.
In May 2007, the Sanitation Districts awarded a $9.5 million contract for continued preliminary and final
design services. As the project requires complicated design and construction coordination efforts with
various parties, the Sanitation Districts and the design team began to meet with stakeholders such as SCE,
Caltrans and other utilities providers in mid 2007 to develop solutions.
The project has been divided into four bid packages to accommodate design phasing and expedite
construction: 1) Site Demolition, 2) Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, 3) Puente
Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements, and 4) SR 60 and Crossroads Parkway
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Modifications. The consultants completed final plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for the
Site Demolition, the Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, and the Puente Hills
Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements in Fall 2008, Winter 2009, and Spring 2011 respectively.
Caltrans approved a Project Study Report/Project Report (PSR-PR) for the modification of the SR-60 at
the Clayton Overhead in March 2010. The approved PSR-PR allowed the Sanitation Districts’ design
team to proceed with preparation of PS&E. The Sanitation Districts submitted 100% PS&E to Caltrans
for review in January 2011. The design team expects to complete final PS&E for SR-60 and Crossroads
Parkway Bridge Modifications in early 2011, upon receipt of a Caltrans’ Right of Way Certification. The
Sanitation Districts also entered into a Freeway Maintenance Agreement and a Cooperative Agreement
with Caltrans in July 2010. The Freeway Maintenance Agreement clarifies the division of maintenance
and responsibilities with respect to the tieback retaining wall, graffiti control, and bridge inspection at
SR-60. The Cooperative Agreement defines the responsibilities for the design and construction phases of
the project. To expedite construction, the Sanitation Districts executed a Supplemental Agreement on
March 23, 2011 with USS CalBuilders to complete this portion of the work.
Construction
On May 27, 2009, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $1.3 million contract to AMPCO
Contracting, Inc. for demolition of existing buildings at the PHIMF site and within the access corridor.
Site demolition began in July 2009 and was completed in January 2010.
To accommodate the construction of the access road, the Sanitation Districts worked with utility
companies and public agencies to relocate multiple underground utilities along Workman Mill Road,
including a 48-inch water line and a natural gas line. The Sanitation Districts also awarded an
approximately $20 million contract to Skanska for Workman Mill Road and access road improvements on
July 8, 2009. Mobilization and traffic control for the project occurred in November 2009, and
groundbreaking activities began on December 15, 2009. All lanes on Workman Mill Road are scheduled
to be reopened in late August 2011 with overall project completion in December 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $79.3 million contract in August 2010 to USS CalBuilders to construct
the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements project. This project consists of all track
work within UPRR right-of-way, including the railroad bridges, as well as the intermodal facility.
Construction began in December 2010 with clearing, grubbing and grading work at the intermodal facility
site. In February 2011, the contractor began grading activities and other work within UPRR right-of-way.
For a majority of the project limits, SCE has 66KV high voltage transmission lines on the north side of
the right-of-way adjacent to the track addition. In some locations, the transmission lines will need to be
relocated. The Sanitation Districts continue to work with SCE to complete the utility relocation design
and develop a construction schedule that does not interfere with SCE’s ability to operate along this
important utility corridor. The Sanitation Districts are also working with public agencies and private
property owners to obtain property rights for construction of this project. Due to the traffic impacts that
could be created from lane closures at both Workman Mill Road and Peck Road, the Sanitation Districts
limited construction to only one area at a time. This created unique scheduling challenges and lengthened
the overall construction period. Completion of the overall project construction is expected in 2012.
As a mitigation measure for the project, the Sanitation Districts are required to implement a program to
reduce project noise impacts to two residential communities adjacent to the UPRR. The Sanitation
Districts will be constructing an 11-foot retaining and sound wall along these communities as part of the
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility project. Additionally, the Sanitation Districts retained a
contractor to upgrade the windows and patio doors for eligible homes in these communities with
windows/doors that meets certain performance standards for sound reduction. The window and patio
door replacement at the Whittier Woods community commenced in October 2009 and was completed in
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December 2009. Work at the Gladstone community began in May 2010 and was completed in
August 2010.
Remaining Work and Approval
A list of work and approval needed to operate a waste-by-rail system is provided below.
Mesquite Regional Landfill
Commence development of waste-by-rail landfill
Fully operational site – December 2008
Railyard and rail spur (80% complete) – October 2011 (estimated completion)
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
Site Demolition
Design (100% complete) – August 2008
Construction (100% complete) – January 2010
Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements
Design (100% complete) – March 2009
Construction (80% complete) – December 2011 (estimated completion)
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility
Design (100% complete) – March 2010
Construction (7% complete) – 2012 (estimated completion)
Modifications to Crossroads Parkway North and SR60
Design (100% complete) – April 2011 (estimated completion)
Construction (0% complete) – Mid 2012 (estimated completion)
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
In October 2008, the Sanitation Districts executed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with UPRR.
The MOUs served as the initial agreements to establish rail transportation services between the PHIMF
and the MRL. On June 24, 2009, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved a 15-year,
Rail Transportation Contract with UPRR. The contract establishes the terms and rate for transporting up
to two trains per day of approximately 4,000 tons each of MSW from the PHIMF to MRL. This contract
for service is a significant milestone for both parties to move forward with their plans for construction and
operation of a waste-by-rail system between the PHIMF and MRL. On June 23, 2010, the Sanitation
Districts executed an Industry Track Agreement (ITA) with UPRR for the construction of MRL. The ITA
defines the division of responsibility between UPRR and the Sanitation Districts for the construction,
operation and maintenance of various portion of the track that will serve the railyard at the MRL. The
Sanitation Districts also entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR in October 2010 that allows the
Sanitation Districts’ contractor to construct an industrial track and related work within the UPRR right-ofway for the PHIMF project. The Sanitation Districts will continue to meet with UPRR and anticipate
entering into agreements with UPRR for construction, maintenance, and operations of the waste-by-rail
system prior to commencement of operations.
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F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM
The Sanitation Districts’ strategy is to provide a gradual cost increase and smooth transition between the
current cost of local disposal capacity and the higher cost of remote disposal. The fund will be composed
of three components: 1) $150 million set aside from gas-to-energy revenues; 2) contributions from future
gas-to-energy revenues; and 3) a portion of future tipping fee increases at the Puente Hills Landfill. This
program is designed to keep tipping fees as low as possible during the 20-year transition period between
the implementation of the Cost Transition Program and the operation of WBR at full costs.
1. Cost Transition Program Implementation
By implementing the cost transition program in 2005, before a waste-by-rail system is needed, a fund will
be created to support at a minimum an initial waste-by-rail project from the Puente Hills MRF. As
discussed above, the fund will be used to provide a stable and controlled transition between the current
disposal fee and the higher cost of waste-by-rail when it is implemented. Accordingly, the $150 million
initial money has already been set aside and annual tipping fee increases of $1.77 per ton per year were
implemented from 2005 to 2007. On October 10, 2007, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors
adopted an ordinance prescribing the tipping fee for Sanitation Districts’ solid waste facilities, including
the Puente Hills Landfill and the Puente Hills MRF. The new tipping fees of $29.42 per ton, $33.86, and
$38.26 became effective on January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2010, respectively. Tipping
fee for 2011 remains the same as 2010 at $38.26 per ton. In January 2011, the Sanitation Districts
introduced a Volume Discount Program to encourage tonnage to the Puente Hills Landfill, which would
provide added revenue to the cost transition program. The Sanitation Districts will continue to evaluate
subsequent increases through the life of the Cost Transition Program and make adjustments as necessary
to reflect changes in costs.
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 53%
since 2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the
Puente Hills Landfill. Therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted
in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
2. Current Disposal and Market Conditions
Landfills throughout Southern California have experienced a continued decline in tonnage since 2005 as a
result of the economic down turn. Table 3 shows a summary of Los Angeles County refuse disposal
tonnage from 2005 to 2010. As shown, disposal tonnage in Los Angeles County has decreased by
approximately 39% since 2005.
Table 3: Summary of Disposal by Los Angeles County Jurisdictions*
Year
Average (tpd-6**)
Trend (%)
2005
46,409
2006
38,727
-17%
2007
37,031
-4%
2008
33,758
-9%
2009
29,621
-12%
2010
28,637
-3%
Overall Trend from 2005 - 2010
-38%
* Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Jurisdictions, County of Los Angeles Department of
Public Works
** tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating days in a year (2005-2010).
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April 2011
3. Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions
The economic downturn has resulted in a significant decrease in refuse disposal. However, as shown in
Table 4, tonnage received at Sanitation Districts’ operated landfills dropped more than the countywide
average. Although a significant amount of the tonnage decline can be attributed to the economy, a certain
portion of tonnage that previously went to publicly operated landfills has been redirected to privately
operated facilities. Private companies have the ability to “internalize” their collection and landfill
operations. By utilizing their own available disposal capacity instead of taking their waste to landfills
owned by others, they are able to maximize capacity and revenue at their own landfills. Increased costs to
transport waste to more distant landfills under their ownership can be offset by charging themselves
reduced tipping fees. Without control and tonnage commitment, the Sanitation Districts are unable to
internalize collection and disposal costs that other private waste management companies have been able
to do. Meanwhile, the tipping fees at the Puente Hills Landfill has increased from $22.65 per ton in 2005
to $38.26 per ton in 2011 to pay for increases in state and local fees as well as to set aside monies for the
Cost Transition Program.
Table 4: Summary of Disposal at Sanitation Districts’ Operated Landfills (tpd-6)*
Year
Calabasas1
Puente Hills
Scholl Canyon2
2005
1,783
12,624
1,461
2006
1,634
12,332
1,441
2007
1,497
12,117
1,291
2008
1,191
10,161
1,089
2009
883
8,510
830
2010
817
5,939
791
Overall Trend from 2005 –
-54%
-53%
-46%
2010
Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Facilities, County of Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works. Tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating per year.
1
Calabasas Landfill is prohibited by County ordinance from accepting waste including tires from outside of the wasteshed
area composed of the incorporated cities of (service area) Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks;
that portion of the City of Los Angeles bordered by the northerly line of Township 2 North on the north, Interstate Highway
405 on the east, Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the city boundary on the west; and certain
unincorporated areas in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
2
An ordinance passed by the City of Glendale limits disposal at the landfill to solid wastes generated within the Los Angeles
County incorporated cities of Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre; the Los
Angeles County unincorporated communities known as Altadena, La Crescenta, Montrose; the unincorporated area bordered
by the cities of San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, and Pasadena; the unincorporated area immediately to the
north of Arcadia, and Pasadena; and the unincorporated area immediately to the north of the City of San Marino bordered by
the City of Pasadena on the west, north and east sides.
4. Impacts to Cost Transition Program
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 53% since
2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente
Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted in
reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
The drop in tonnage at Puente Hills Landfill from 2007 to 2010 resulted in a loss of approximately $1390
million in tipping fees. With a potentially slow economic recovery, it is uncertain if tonnage levels at the
Puente Hills Landfill will ever return to pre-recession levels and the loss may continue until the Puente
Hills Landfill closes in November 1, 2013. With a set closure date, capacity not consumed at the Puente
Hills Landfill will remain unrecoverable. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on
the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente
Hills Landfill resulted in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program. Currently, the Sanitation
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Districts have set aside adequate funding to construct the infrastructures needed to operate a waste-by-rail
system. The Sanitation Districts will continue to monitor the funding and the accuracy of the program
and evaluate the program’s ability to keep tipping fees for the waste-by-rail system competitive.
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STATUS REPORT ON
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM AND
THE EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
REPORT NO. 31
JULY 2011
COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
1955 WORKMAN MILL ROAD
WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA 90601
STEPHEN R. MAGUIN
CHIEF ENGINEER AND GENERAL MANAGER
This page is intentionally left blank.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................................1
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY......................................1
III.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED ...............................................................................................1
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ..................................................................................2
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT ......................................2
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES.............................................3
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES ...........................................3
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE .................................................4
1.
2.
C
IV.
Purpose .......................................................................................................................5
Technologies Under Evaluation .................................................................................5
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ......................6
WASTE-BY-RAIL .........................................................................................................................8
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES ..........................................................................................8
B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES .....................................................9
1.
2.
3.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS............................................................................11
1.
2.
D
Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill.........................................................9
An Operational Remote Landfill.................................................................................9
Truck Haul ..................................................................................................................9
Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System.......................................................................10
Mesquite Regional Landfill.......................................................................................11
Eagle Mountain Landfill...........................................................................................11
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM ...................12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility.................................................................12
Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility ...........................................12
South Gate Transfer Station .....................................................................................12
Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations................................................................12
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility ..............................................................................13
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process .............................................13
Project Features ........................................................................................................13
Design .......................................................................................................................13
Construction..............................................................................................................14
Remaining Work and Approval................................................................................14
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD ............................................15
F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM ............................................................................................15
1.
2.
Cost Transition Program Implementation................................................................16
Current Disposal and Market Conditions ................................................................16
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.
4.
Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions .........................................16
Impacts to Cost Transition Program ........................................................................17
ii
I.
PURPOSE
This report is prepared pursuant to Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) No. 02-027-(4), which requires the Sanitation Districts to prepare and submit quarterly reports,
detailing the status of the waste-by-rail developments and other new waste management processes, to the
Director of Public Works for review and comment. This is Report No. 31. This report will describe the
Sanitation Districts’ ongoing efforts on the implementation of a waste-by-rail system and the progress
made by the Alternative Technology Advisory Committee that was formed in accordance with Condition
No. 24(c) of the CUP. Discussion of background information and completed projects can be found in
previous reports or has been condensed in this report.
II.
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEEDS FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Currently, there are seven major landfills permitted to accept solid waste in Los Angeles County; five are
located in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and two are located in the Antelope Valley. A major landfill
is defined as a facility that is permitted to receive at least 500 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per
day. Four sites are privately owned and operated and three are operated by the Sanitation Districts. In
addition, there are four minor landfills and two refuse-to-energy facilities in Los Angeles County.
Pursuant to Section 41821 of the Public Resources Code, Los Angeles County is required to submit a
report to the CalRecycle (formerly California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB))
summarizing the adequacy of the siting element and summary plan. The report discusses any changes in
disposal capacity, disposal facilities, or any other relevant issues.
In first quarter of 2011, Los Angeles County disposed of approximately 2.2 million tons or 28,462 tons
per day of solid waste based on six operating days (tpd-6) at Class III landfills and transformation
facilities located in and out of the County. Of this amount, approximately 79%, or 22,408 tons per day
(tpd), were handled by waste management facilities located within Los Angeles County.
Table 1: First Quarter 2011 Disposal Tonnage
Disposal (tons)
Average Daily Disposal
(Based on six operating days)
In-County Class III Landfills*
1,593,140
20,962
Transformation Facilities*
109,865
1,446
Exports to Out-of-County Landfills**
460,070
6,054
Total Disposed
2,163,075
28,462
* Data from Solid Waste Disposal Summary Reports by Facilities, County of Los Angeles Department of Public
Works, July 15, 2011. Assumes 76 operating days in first quarter 2011.
** Data from Solid Waste Disposal Reports from Ventura, Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties.
A
PROJECTED DISPOSAL NEED
The latest comparison of daily disposal demand and available capacity is presented in the County of Los
Angeles, Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) 2009 Annual Report, dated
February 2011. Under Scenario I – Status Quo in Appendix E-3, the disposal capacity shortfall is
expected to occur beginning in 2014 at 4,038 tpd. This scenario assumed that the Puente Hills Landfill
would accept 7,750 to 8,380 tpd between 2009 and 2013 before the landfill closes due to permit
expiration. The Puente Hills Landfill currently accepts only 5,500 tpd and is estimated to have
approximately 18.4 million cubic yards of remaining capacity at closure, which is equivalent to 71
months of disposal capacity at the current rate. Regardless of the remaining capacity at the Puente Hills
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Landfill, if landfill diversion continues to increase, alternative technologies are implemented, or any of
the proposed landfill expansions are granted, the disposal capacity shortfall will likely to occur well
beyond 2014.
B
NEED FOR WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The CIWMP 2009 Annual Report showed that Los Angeles County would experience a disposal shortfall
in 2014 under the status-quo scenario. While there is adequate disposal capacity within the region; it is
unlikely that customers will pay the higher cost of transporting waste over a 200-mile distance from Los
Angeles County to the Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) via rail or truck. Therefore, the utilization of
waste-by-rail is not anticipated prior to 2013. The waste-by-rail system will be operational in 2012, prior
to the projected disposal shortfall, should there be a need to use the waste-by-rail system. Therefore
although the Sanitation Districts have committed significant resources and finances to the waste-by-rail
system, it does not appear the system is required until at least 2013. At that point, the waste-by-rail
system should be operational along with the option of truck hauling to the MRL.
C
BENEFICIAL REUSE MATERIALS ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
The Puente Hills Landfill provides beneficial reuse of a number of materials that might otherwise be
disposed. Many jurisdictions have come to rely on the Sanitation Districts’ landfill diversion programs,
especially the green waste program, as critical elements of their recycling programs. The largest quantities
of beneficially reused materials are clean soil, green waste, asphalt and treated incinerator ash. The
Sanitation Districts are evaluating alternatives that would provide for the continued beneficial reuse of
some of these materials after the closure of the Puente Hills Landfill.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 2,860 tpd of clean soil during the second quarter 2011.
This material is principally used for daily cover and interim cover. After closure, the landfill will
continue to have needs for clean soil to use for maintenance of roads, benches and final cover. Significant
settlement is expected to occur during the first 30 years of postclosure and clean soil will be needed for a
number of uses including fill to maintain grade of the final cover for storm water drainage. Soil needs at
the site during postclosure will be less than the current use and should decrease over time. Because clean
soil is normally in demand throughout the County at a number of different sites, “soil brokers” and dirt
hauling companies will find other more cost-effective options besides the Puente Hills Landfill. The
Sanitation Districts will work with the haulers as closure nears and onsite soil demands decline to prepare
them to redirect their loads to other locations.
Approximately 940 tpd of green waste was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the second quarter
2011. Most of this material is beneficially reused as alternative daily cover material (ADC). With the
closure of the Puente Hills Landfill scheduled for 2013, the Sanitation Districts have evaluated the
absorptive capacity of the existing solid waste system both within the county and in surrounding counties.
The results of this evaluation are that:
(1) there is sufficient transfer facility capacity within the county to direct the green waste generated
to an appropriate end use; and
(2) there is sufficient facility capacity within Los Angeles County and in surrounding counties to
beneficially reuse all of the green waste that the Puente Hills Landfill currently receives.
Approximately 970 tpd of asphalt was received at the Puente Hills Landfill during the second quarter
2011. This material is beneficially reused as road base or as base for winter deck operating areas. It is
anticipated that some ground asphalt will continue to be used at the site after closure for maintenance of
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site roads. However, similar to clean soil, recycled asphalt is normally in demand throughout the County.
The Sanitation Districts will work with the asphalt haulers as closure nears and onsite needs decline to
prepare them to redirect their loads to other locations.
The Puente Hills Landfill received approximately 620 tpd of treated incinerator ash from Commerce and
Southeast Resource Recovery refuse-to-energy facilities during the second quarter 2011. This material is
used as road base for winter deck operating areas. The Sanitation Districts are working with several
vendors to determine the feasibility of various alternatives for reusing ash. Formulation and testing of
potential products is on going.
III.
ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
This section tracks the alternative waste management facilities, designed to use MSW as feedstock that
are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States and describes the ongoing efforts
by the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee to advance the development of alternative waste
management facilities.
In April 2009, the CIWMB published a report, Conversion Technologies Status Update Survey, to
identify conversion technologies that are operating commercially viable facilities. CIWMB received 23
responses from the 83 companies surveyed. Five respondents claimed to have commercialized MSW
conversion technology facilities. Of the commercialized facilities that convert MSW, two use gasification
systems and three use anaerobic digestion facilities. None of the commercialized facilities process MSW
in California and there are no commercial or anaerobic digestion systems in the United States processing
MSW.
To encourage the use of conversion technology, CIWMB published a guidance document in
October 2009, How Anaerobic Digestion Fits Current Board Regulatory Structure, to assist operators in
determining the level of permitting or authorization required for a project involving anaerobic digestion.
To further promote the use of anaerobic digestion in managing solid waste, CalRecycle prepared a
Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess the potential impacts from the development of
anaerobic digestion facilities in California. The Program EIR was released for public review and
comment through April 4, 2011.
A
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Currently, there are several alternative waste management facilities, specifically designed to use MSW as
feedstock, that are in the planning stages or in initial development in the United States. These facilities are
briefly discussed in this section.
Powers Energy One – Schneider, Indiana:
Process up to 10,000 tons per day of MSW.
Produce 70 gallons of ethanol per ton of waste processed.
To be owned by Lake County but operated, maintained, and privately funded by Powers Energy.
Construction will begin once environmental permits and funding are secured.
Masada – Middletown, New York (Orange Recycling and Ethanol Production Facility):
Permitted to accept 800 tons of MSW per day.
Designed to convert 230,000 tons of MSW per year and 73,000 (dry) tons of sewage sludge into
approximately 9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year.
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Construction held up by arbitration on a contract dispute between Middletown and Masada. On
May 11, 2011, the arbitrator ruled in favor of the City of Middletown. The ruling, along with the
expiration of the facility’s air quality and solid waste permits, essentially ended the project 1 .
Geoplasma - St. Lucie County, Florida:
Design to process up to 600 tons of MSW per day at a 100,000 square foot, plasma-arc
gasification facility and produce up to 22 megawatt of electricity.
Received air permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in June 2010.
Anticipates facility operations in fourth quarter 2013. 2
World Waste Technologies, Inc. – Anaheim, California:
Constructed a 500-tons per day autoclave facility that converts MSW into separable components
of sterilized organic and inorganic materials.
Facility has been in operation since June 2006.
BlueFire Renewables – Fulton, Mississippi:
Produce 19 million gallons of ethanol per year from woody biomass, mill residue, and sorted
MSW.
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact (Finding) for the project on June 4, 2010.
BlueFire signed a Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract with Wanzek
Construction, Inc. (subsidiary of MasTec) in October 2010.
Began clearing, rough grading and drainage of the construction site in November 2010.
Agresti Biofuels – Pike County, Kentucky (Central Appalachian Ethanol plant):
Convert up to 1,500 tons per day of MSW at full capacity to ethanol using an acid hydrolysis
system.
Design and construction pending funding. Phase 1, at $13 million, will get the facility
operational, with the overall project to cost $200 million.
On July 15, 2011, the City of San Bernardino issued a Request for Qualifications to identify potential
development partners for a conversion technology project. The City intends to execute a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the selected developer to prepare environmental documents, obtain permits,
design, finance, build, operate and maintain the conversion technology project. The City currently
generates approximately 500 tons per day of mixed MSW from both residential and commercial sources
and will guarantee delivery of its waste to the facility. The City anticipates the selection of a
development partner and the execution of a MOU by the end of 2011.
B
ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE
In accordance with Condition No. 24 (c) of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP No. 02-027-(4), the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee was formed as a subcommittee within the Los Angeles County Solid
Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force. The current members of the
Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee are shown in Table 2.
1
2
Times Herald Record, “Middletown wins Masada Case - Mayor: Ethanol plant ‘Now dead’”, May 14, 2011.
TC Palm, “State Environmental Permits OK’d for Trash-Zapping Plant in St. Lucie”, June 17, 2010.
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Table 2: Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee Membership
Association
Member Name
1.
Hacienda Heights Improvement Association
Jeff Yann
2.
California Integrated Waste Management Board
Jacques Franco
3.
Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Eugene Sun
Force
4.
Department of Public Works
Paul Alva, alternate Coby Skye
5.
Department of Health Services
John Kaddis, alternates Jose
Reynoso and Thomas White
6.
Sanitation Districts
Mark McDannel,
Robert Ferrante
7.
Optional Appointee #1 (Bioenergy Producers Association)
Dr. Kay Martin
8.
Optional Appointee #2 (Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Mike Mohajer
Management Task Force)
9.
Optional Appointee #3 (City of Los Angeles)
Alex Helou, alternate Miguel
Zermeno
10.
Optional Appointee #4 (Eugene Tseng and Associates)
Eugene Tseng
11.
Republic-Allied Waste
Rafael Garcia
12.
North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens
Wayde Hunter
alternate
In addition to the funding from the Puente Hills Landfill, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
approved the Replacement CUP for the Sunshine Canyon Landfill on February 6, 2007, which contained
provisions for an annual funding of up to $200,000 for conversion technology research. The funds would
be used to study alternative technology and develop a pilot scale facility. Representatives from the North
Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens and Republic-Allied Waste were added to the Alternative
Technology Advisory Subcommittee.
1. Purpose
The primary purpose of the Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee is to evaluate and promote
the development of conversion technologies to reduce dependence on landfills and incinerators. The
Subcommittee will assist in the preparation of the scope of work for a consultant to evaluate conversion
technologies best suited for the Southern California area, review and implement the recommendations of
the studies, and to develop strategies to promote conversion technology. The Sanitation Districts may
provide additional funding, subject to approval by its Board of Directors, to develop a pilot scale facility
if it is deemed feasible by the Subcommittee and is approved by the Director of Public Works.
2. Technologies Under Evaluation
To fulfill the task of finding a conversion technology that is suitable for development at one of the local
materials recovery/transfer facilities, the Subcommittee retained URS to prepare a Phase I Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report. The Report discussed and ranked conversion technologies, evaluated
local MRFs suitability for conversion technologies, and provided recommendations for moving forward
with implementation. The Report also included the Strategic Action Plan, Public Outreach Plan, Market
Analysis, and Siting Analysis as appendices. Subsequently, the Subcommittee awarded a contract to
Cerrell Associates to develop the stakeholder database, the conversion technology website and other
related outreach materials.
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The Department of Public Works retained Alternative Resources, Inc. (ARI) for Phase II activities related
to a continuation of the evaluation of technology suppliers and host sites. ARI prepared a Conversion
Technology Evaluation Report – Phase II Assessment Report that recommended a conversion technology
to be incorporated into an existing MRF, which was approved by the Subcommittee on October 18, 2007.
The Subcommittee launched the new County Conversion Technology website on September 20, 2007.
The website address is www.socalconversion.org. As the next step in advancing the development of a
conversion technology demonstration facility, the Department of Public Works issued a Request for
Offers (RFO) for a proposed project in January 2008 and held a mandatory pre-offer meeting in February
2008. Offers were received in August 2008 and have been reviewed by an Evaluation Committee
comprised of a subset of Subcommittee members. DPW staff has completed negotiations with the teams
whose Offers were rated as qualified. The Memoranda of Understanding with the vendors were approved
by the County Board of Supervisors at their April 20, 2010 meeting and County staff is currently working
with the teams to develop the projects.
In November 2007, the County issued a RFP for Phase III, the development of a demonstration facility,
and Phase IV, the siting of commercial facilities in Los Angeles County, of the Conversion Technology
Project. A pre-proposal meeting was held on December 15, 2008. Five proposals were received on
January 2009 and reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Subcommittee members. The
selection committee recommended the selection of Alternative Resources Inc. (ARI). A contract with
ARI was approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Board’s April 20, 2010 meeting.
The Subcommittee meetings are held monthly, typically on the 3rd Thursday of the month. The last
meeting was held on July 21, 2011.
C
SANITATION DISTRICTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
In addition to active participation in the Subcommittee, the Sanitation Districts are prepared to assist the
County in pursuit of legislation to support the development of conversion technology projects. The
Sanitation Districts have reviewed legislation introduced in the 2011-12 legislative session but to date
have not identified any bills designed to promote or remove barriers to the development of conversion
technology projects. The Sanitation Districts will continue to assist the County in promoting such
legislation.
The Sanitation Districts continue its ongoing activities to review conversion technologies and potential
applications to the Sanitation Districts’ needs. The Sanitation Districts staff visited the Plasma Waste
Recycling (PWR) in Huntsville, Alabama in January 2010 and a demonstration of Comprehensive
Resources’ autoclaving technology at the Crazy Horse Landfill in Salinas, California in March 2010.
Both technologies are in the developmental stage. The Sanitation Districts have determined that there is
currently no applicability to the Sanitation Districts’ needs, but will continue to track these technologies.
Lastly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Memoranda of Understanding between
the County and demonstration project developers on April 20, 2010. The demonstration projects include
an anaerobic digestion project in Perris, a gasification project in Huntington Beach, and a pyrolysis
project in Riverside. No project sites in Los Angeles County were identified, although County staff will
continue to evaluate potential facilities. The following is an excerpt of the April 2011 Department of
Public Works’ Six Month Status Update on the development of the conversation technology projects.
“CR&R, Inc. - CR&R, Inc., a local solid waste management company, is developing a 150 ton
per day anaerobic digestion project at its material recovery facility (MRF) and transfer station
(TS) in Perris, California. Public Works has been actively involved with CR&R, Inc., in pursuing
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funding and financing opportunities, and as a result, CR&R, Inc., was awarded a grant of more
than $4.5 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) in January 2011. CR&R, Inc.,
is seeking additional grant and tax-credit support, as well as loans to complete the financing of
the project, however, the CEC grant is the key to successful financing. This project will process
MRF residuals into biogas, which will be further processed into pipeline-quality natural gas or
compressed natural gas (CNG). This CNG can also be used as a fuel in CR&R, Inc.’s collection
truck fleet. CR&R, Inc., is exploring additional options to use some of the biogas in an engine or
a fuel cell to generate electric power for on-site use by CR&R, Inc., and/or for sale. In addition,
CR&R, Inc., has defined and initiated permitting activities and is in discussions with third parties
regarding sale of energy and compost products. Construction is expected to commence in 2012
and be completed in 2014.
Although the project will be initially developed to process 150 tons per day of MRF residuals,
CR&R, Inc., envisions future expansion. Continued success will enable this project to be the first
large-size demonstration facility operating in Southern California. Over the next six months,
Public Works will complete its own economic analysis to assess the economic advantages of
expanding the facility. Public Works will also continue to support CR&R, Inc., as it seeks and
evaluates additional funding opportunities. Similarly, within the framework of the MOU, Public
Works will monitor and support CR&R, Inc.’s other development activities, including in the near
term, permitting and public outreach activities.
Rainbow Disposal Company, Inc. - As currently planned, the facility will be sited at Rainbow's
Huntington Beach MRF/TS. Under the terms of Rainbow’s MOU with the County, the facility
will be designed with an initial capacity of 360 tons per day, with an expansion capability of up to
1,000 tons per day. It will process MRF residuals as well as post-recycled municipal solid waste
that would otherwise be landfilled. The energy product of the facility will be electric power.
Rainbow has been continuing to address technical and economic aspects of its CT project. A
particular hurdle for the project is a significant reduction in the anticipated volume of waste at the
Huntington Beach MRF/TS since the MOU was signed. Public Works and Rainbow are
continuing to collaborate and communicate on this demonstration project. The next meeting is
planned for May 2011 to review and assess the status of project development activities.
International Environmental Solutions, Inc. (IES) - The IES facility will use its proprietary lowtemperature advanced pyrolysis technology to convert solid waste feedstock into a synthesis gas
that will be used to generate electric power. As envisioned under IES’s MOU with the County,
the facility will have an initial capacity of 184 tons per day, which could be expanded in the
future, and will be located at the Robert A. Nelson TS and MRF (RAN) in Riverside County. The
MOU anticipated the IES demonstration project to be phased-in with an initial testing period
processing 35 tons per day of MRF residuals and/or post-recycled waste from RAN at IES’s
facility in Menifee (formerly, Romoland). Following successful completion of the testing phase,
IES would develop and install the project at RAN. The testing phase has not yet been conducted.
Since approval of the MOU, the system in Menifee was contracted to a private company on a
lease/purchase arrangement and relocated to Mecca, California for commercial application
processing tires. As a result of this change, Public Works and IES are jointly exploring other
potential options to conduct the test phase of this demonstration project.”
At the April 20, 2010 meeting, Supervisor Yaroslavsky also made a motion directing Department of
Public Works to coordinate with appropriate stakeholders, including the Sanitation Districts and other
appropriate County departments, to assess the feasibility of developing a conversion technology facility at
one or more County landfills. Department of Public Works would report its findings regarding the
development a conversion technology facility at a landfill in the County and identification of other
potentially suitable sites within Los Angeles County to the Board of Supervisors within six months. The
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motion was also passed by the Board of Supervisors. On October 20, 2010, the Department of Public
Works submitted a Preliminary Conversion Technology Site Assessment to the Board of Supervisors.
The Assessment, based on input from eleven stakeholders representing cities, solid waste companies, and
industrial real estate developers within Los Angeles County, identified 16 potential sites for conversion
technology facility. The potential sites are located at: four existing landfills (Calabasas, Lancaster,
Pebbly Beach, and Scholl Canyon), three materials recovery and transfer facilities (Paramount Resource
Recycling, Grand Central Recycling and Transfer Station, and Waste Resources Recovery), and nine
other sites. The County will continue to work with the stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing
these locations as potential conversion technology facility sites. On April 21, 2011, Public Works staff
presented a Status Report on the Conversion Technology program to the Board of Supervisors.
On June 22, 2011, Public Works issued two Requests for Expression of Interest (RFEI) for the Phase IV
full scale project. One RFEI is for technology suppliers and the one is for financing. The process will
result in a list of screened technology and financial partners that would then be able to team with site
owners to develop a project.
IV.
WASTE-BY-RAIL
Although the potential for conversion technologies to play a role in waste management exists, several
obstacles must be overcome before any of the processes can be relied upon on a large scale. As such, the
Sanitation Districts have worked diligently to implement a waste-by-rail system that would ensure that
the County would have long-term disposal capacity when in-county landfill disposal capacity diminishes.
This section describes the Sanitation Districts’ efforts to implement a waste-by-rail system.
A
IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES
Condition No. 58 of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP requires the Sanitation Districts to consult with
Department of Public Works regarding the planning and development of the waste-by-rail system and to
meet several milestones in the implementation of a waste-by-rail system.
By December 31, 2007, the Sanitation Districts shall commence the development of at least one
remote waste-by-rail landfill.
By December 31, 2008, at least one of the remote landfills shall be fully operational.
By December 31, 2009, the waste-by-rail system shall be operational.
The Sanitation Districts must meet these milestones in order to maintain the 13,200 tons per day
maximum allowable tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill. If the Sanitation Districts were unsuccessful in
meeting the milestones, the allowable daily tonnage at the Puente Hills Landfill could be reduced by:
2,000 tons per day if the development of a remote landfill has not commenced by December 31, 2007;
1,000 tons per day if a remote landfill is not operational by December 31, 2008; and
2,000 tons per day if a waste-by-rail system is not fully operational by December 31, 2009.
The Director of Public Works has the discretion to waive the reduction in daily tonnage if the Director of
Public Works finds that the Sanitation Districts are making best faith efforts to comply with the
implementation schedule, and the lack of compliance is through no fault of the Sanitation Districts.
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B
PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING SPECIFIED MILESTONES
This section describes the ongoing efforts by the Sanitation Districts in attaining the waste-by-rail
implementation goals established in the Puente Hills Landfill CUP.
1. Development of Remote Waste-by-Rail Landfill
The Sanitation Districts have achieved and met the first milestone of commencing development of at least
one remote waste-by-rail landfill by December 31, 2007. As detailed in Section C – Development of
Remote Landfills, the Sanitation Districts began final design of essential infrastructures at the MRL in
2005. The following construction projects were completed prior to December 31, 2007:
Installation of perimeter fencing to facilitate desert tortoise clearance and monitoring in
compliance with the Biological Mitigation and Monitoring Plan,
Installation of groundwater monitoring wells for the initial phase of the landfill,
Construction of a 2-million gallon aboveground water tank,
Installation of pipeline and electrical cable between the Mesquite Mine water supply line and the
MRL water storage tank to provide water and power for the construction and operation of the
landfill,
Construction of roads and drainage structures.
2. An Operational Remote Landfill
The second milestone was achieved by having an operational remote landfill by December 31, 2008
through construction of all essential facilities. Facilities essential to the startup of operations include
water, power, communications, drainage, environmental control systems, and operational facilities. A
letter was sent to Department of Public Works on December 24, 2008, informing them that the Sanitation
Districts met the second milestone of having a remote landfill operational by December 31, 2008. The
Department of Public Works sent a letter to the Sanitation Districts on March 24, 2009, concurring with
this determination.
Truck Haul
In February 2007, the Sanitation Districts submitted an application to Imperial County to amend the MRL
CUP for the ability to receive up to 4,000 tons per day of MSW by truck. The ability to receive waste by
truck from Los Angeles County will allow the Sanitation Districts to commence operations of the MRL,
prior to the completion of the needed waste-by-rail infrastructure in 2012. Once the waste-by-rail system
is operational, the ability to receive waste by truck will provide operational flexibility with the ability to
ramp up until enough tonnage is received to make up a unit train 3 . Initially, it is not likely that large
amounts of Imperial County MSW will be delivered to the site due to the availability of other existing
disposal options. Thus, truck haul of MSW originating from Los Angeles County would be the most
viable method of delivering waste for disposal at the MRL during this initial period.
On July 18, 2007, Imperial County Planning and Development Services (ICPDS) issued a Notice of
Preparation of a Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR) for the MRL CUP that would
address the potential impacts related to the proposed project changes of transporting up to 4,000 tpd of
waste by truck in lieu of by train. A public DSEIR scoping meeting was held on August 23, 2007. ICPDS
released a DSEIR for the project on June 8, 2010 and received comments on the DSEIR through July 29,
2010. The DSEIR determined that the project would result in a significant and unavoidable impact for
3
Based on previous studies, the optimal capacity of a unit train consists of approximately 4,000 tons of
containerized waste.
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greenhouse gas. ICPDS issued a Notice of Availability of the FSEIR on October 6, 2010 and
recommended approval of the CUP to the Board of Supervisors on February 9, 2011. The Board of
Supervisors held a public hearing on the project on April 5, 2011, and subsequently certified the FSEIR,
adopted findings of fact and statement of overriding considerations, and approved the CUP. Prior to
initiation of truck hauling to the MRL, the Sanitation Districts must obtain a revised Solid Waste Facility
Permit (SWFP) from CalRecycle/Local Enforcement Agency. On June 1, the Sanitation Districts
submitted an application to revise the SWFP to include truck haul and other entitlements granted by the
new CUP. The LEA accepted the application, as complete and correct, on June 15 and held a public
hearing on the application on July 6. The LEA anticipates sending a revised SWFP to CalRecycle for
concurrence/approval at the end of July. CalRecycle will then have 60 days to act on the SWFP.
3. Operation of a Waste-by-Rail System
The Sanitation Districts prepared “Progress Report on the Development of a Waste-by-Rail System”
(Progress Report) and circulated it to various stakeholders for review in November 2009. The Progress
Report documented major accomplishments by the Sanitation Districts and obstacles encountered during
the implementation a waste-by-rail system and stated that the construction was on going with expected
completion in 2012. Based on the Sanitation Districts’ demonstrated best-faith efforts toward
implementing waste-by-rail, the Los Angeles County Director of Public Works granted a waiver of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP milestone that would reduce the daily tonnage into the landfill if a waste-byrail system was not operational by the end of 2009. As a condition of that waiver, the Department of
Public Works directed the Sanitation Districts to submit annual updates to the Progress Report. In
compliance with the condition, the Sanitation Districts submitted an update to the Progress Report to the
stakeholders for review on October 15, 2010. A summary of the major accomplishments and obstacles
towards the development of a waste-by-rail system as described in the Progress Report is provided below:
The Sanitation Districts acquired the MRL in 2002 and completed construction of the facility in
compliance with the CUP milestone to have a remote landfill operational by the end of 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began its efforts to identify a property in the vicinity of the Puente Hills MRF
that could be developed as a dedicated waste-by-rail loading facility prior to the issuance of the
Puente Hills Landfill CUP. In November 2004, the Sanitation Districts successfully negotiated an
option to purchase a property for development as a dedicated intermodal facility. The permitting and
environmental review process for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) property took more
than three years to complete and a land use permit was issued June 2008.
The Sanitation Districts began on-going discussions with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the
waste-by-rail system and the potential use of existing UPRR intermodal facilities to serve the system
in 2002. The Sanitation Districts diligently negotiated with UPRR; however, it took until mid-2009
before an agreement could be reached with UPRR that would commit them to serving the project.
Numerous technical challenges have lengthened the design process to more than three years,
including a design change requested by UPRR after the EIR was certified and 80% of the track design
was completed, significant coordination with SCE over relocation of their facilities to be impacted by
the PHIMF development and an extensive review and approval process with California Department of
Transportation for modification of the SR-60 bridge.
Demolition of existing building for the PHIMF was completed in January 2010 and the construction
of Workman Mill Road and access roads for the PHIMF are estimated to be complete in
December 2011.
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The Sanitation Districts awarded a $36 million construction contract for the rail spur and intermodal
facility at the MRL in March 2010 and a $79 million construction contract for the most ambitious
portion of the PHIMF in August 2010.
The Sanitation Districts entered into an Industry Track Agreement with UPRR for the construction of
the rail spur at the MRL in June 2010 and entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR identifying
work to be completed within the UPRR right-of-way for the PHIMF in October 2010.
To date, the Sanitation Districts have expended significant funds, approximately $417 million, to
develop a waste-by-rail system. The construction schedule indicates that a complete waste-by-rail
system will be ready for operations in 2012, prior to the expiration of the Puente Hills Landfill CUP
in November 2013.
C
DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE LANDFILLS
Within California, there are two landfills that are designed and permitted to receive waste via rail: the
MRL in Imperial County and the Eagle Mountain Landfill site in Riverside County. In August 2000, the
Sanitation Districts entered into purchase agreements with the respective owners of each of these sites.
1. Mesquite Regional Landfill
The Mesquite Regional Landfill (MRL) is located on 4,245 acres of land in Imperial County, about 35
miles east of the nearest town of Brawley and about 220 miles southeast of the metropolitan Los Angeles
area. The MRL is fully permitted as a Class III landfill that can accept residual MSW transported from
Southern California communities by rail and transported from Imperial County jurisdictions by transfer
trucks. The approved landfill footprint of 2,290 acres will provide capacity for approximately 600 million
tons of residual MSW and 100 years of operation. The site is permitted to receive a maximum of
20,000 tpd.
As of December 24, 2008, all infrastructures required for the MRL to be operational have been
constructed. The current activities related to the MRL include ongoing biological monitoring activities,
design and construction of the MRL railyard, and continued public outreach efforts, such as one-on-one
meetings, presentations and event attendance.
On January 13, 2010, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $36 million contract to Coffman
Specialties, Inc. for construction of the Mesquite Regional Landfill Rail Spur and Intermodal Yard–Stage
I. Additionally, a $1.4-million contract was awarded to Wilson and Company, Inc., for design support
during construction. Construction began in March 2010 and is scheduled to be complete in August 2011.
2. Eagle Mountain Landfill
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is located approximately 175 miles east of Los Angeles and 12 miles
north of the Interstate Highway 10 at Desert Center, in Riverside County. The Eagle Mountain Landfill
site has a total capacity of 708 million tons and is currently permitted to accept up to 460 million tons.
Initially, up to 10,000 tpd of MSW may be disposed at the site. After ten years of operations, the operator
may request to increase the daily tonnage rate to 20,000 tpd. The property totals 4,643 acres and the
landfill footprint will eventually encompass 2,164 acres of the property.
The Eagle Mountain Landfill site is designed to be primarily a waste-by-rail facility. At full operation, an
average of five trains per day would arrive at the site via the UPRR main line, which extends from Los
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Angeles to Ferrum Junction. The Eagle Mountain Landfill site has an existing 52-mile private railroad
that would be utilized to transport refuse from Ferrum Junction to the site.
Completion of the purchase of the site is dependent upon the resolution of the federal litigation. In early
2011, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear the Kaiser Ventures Inc. appeal. As a result, Kaiser
Ventures Inc. will need to resolve the problems identified by the Ninth District Court of Appeals decision
in November 2009. These include an expansion of the project alternatives discussion, a complete
discussion of eutrophication and identification of an appropriate process for valuing the public land
needed for the project.
D
DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COMPONENTS OF THE WASTE-BY-RAIL SYSTEM
The local components of the waste-by-rail system will be comprised of MRFs/transfer stations and
intermodal rail yards. With respect to MRF/transfer stations, the Sanitation Districts have completed the
construction of the Puente Hills MRF. The Sanitation Districts own and operate the South Gate Transfer
Station and the Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility.
1. Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility
The Puente Hills MRF is located in unincorporated Los Angeles County near the western end of the City
of Industry on approximately 25 acres of land. The MRF is permitted to receive its design capacity of a
maximum of 4,400 tons of waste per day or a maximum of 24,000 tons per week. The facility has been
designed to recover approximately 15 percent of the waste that is processed. Residual waste from the
MRF is transported via transfer trucks to a local landfill. When the waste-by-rail system is operational,
the residual waste from the MRF will be trucked to a local intermodal rail yard for transport via rail to a
remote landfill for disposal.
The MRF was completed in June 2005. The facility has state-of-the-art environmental control and
sustainable design features, including visual screening, odor and dust control system, the use of recycled
construction materials and reclaimed water, and a liquefied natural gas facility. The MRF officially
opened to the public on July 11, 2005.
2. Downey Area Recycling and Transfer (DART) Facility
In August 2000, the Sanitation Districts purchased the DART Facility from DART Inc. for approximately
$24 million. The DART Facility is located on a 6.2-acre site in the City of Downey, west of the San
Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and south of Firestone Boulevard. It is permitted to receive, handle and
process up to 5,000 tons of waste per day. It has been in operation since 1997.
3. South Gate Transfer Station
The Sanitation Districts have been the owner and operator of the South Gate Transfer Station since its
construction in 1958. It is located on a 4.5-acre site in the City of South Gate, east of the Long Beach
Freeway (I-710) at the Firestone Boulevard exit. It is permitted to accept 1,000 ton of non-hazardous
MSW per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
4. Privately Owned MRFs/Transfer Stations
As local disposal capacity diminishes, privately owned MRFs and transfer stations may elect to utilize
local rail yards to transport waste to the remote landfills and become a part of the waste-by-rail system.
The Sanitation Districts will work with any entities that wish to utilize the waste-by-rail system.
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July 2011
5. Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
As described above, the use of a local rail yard is an essential component of the waste-by-rail system.
Rail access to both the MRL and the Eagle Mountain Landfill is provided through the use of a rail line
owned by the UPRR. The Sanitation Districts are constructing a dedicated local railyard – the PHIMF –
in the City of Industry to serve as the final component of the waste-by-rail system.
Land Use Permit and Environmental Review Process
On November 11, 2004, the Sanitation Districts reached agreements with the City of Industry and the
City of Industry Redevelopment Agency to secure the purchase of 17 acres adjacent to the UPRR for the
development of a dedicated, local intermodal facility to serve the waste-by-rail system.
The City of Industry is the local land use permitting agency and the lead agency pursuant to the California
Environmental Quality Act. On June 12, 2008, following a public hearing on the matter, the City of
Industry City Council adopted a resolution to certify the Final EIR and adopt Findings of Fact, Statement
of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring Program. The City Council also approved
Development Plan conditions for the project. On June 26, 2008, the City of Industry Planning
Commission approved the issuance of a CUP for the project.
On March 12, 2009, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve an addendum
to the PHIMF EIR for project modifications involving track infrastructure within UPRR right-of-way and
a Development Agreement for the PHIMF. The City Council held a public meeting on the matter on
March 26, 2009, and subsequently adopted the ordinance to approve the Development Agreement on
April 9, 2009. The Sanitation Districts purchased the properties needed to construct the PHIMF and the
access corridor on May 8, 2009.
Project Features
The PHIMF will include three main features: 1) an intermodal facility to support the loading/unloading
of up to two dedicated waste-by-rail trains per day; 2) access to and from the site from the Puente Hills
MRF; and 3) rail improvements to allow the efficient operation of the intermodal facility. The intermodal
facility will consist of six-onsite rail loading tracks to support a two-train per day operation, three
maintenance tracks to service and fuel locomotives, a container storage area, an administration building,
maintenance facilities, and employee/visitor parking areas. The off-street access road will provide
dedicated access for vehicles traveling between the Puente Hills MRF and the PHIMF. The rail
improvements within UPRR right-of-way will consist of a new arrival/departure track along a 3.5-mile
corridor between Mission Mill Road and Seventh Avenue. Other improvements within the right-of-way
include constructing two new bridges, modifying two existing bridges, and installing ancillary structures,
such as switches and signals. The intermodal facility is designed to handle up to 2 trains per day, or
approximately 8,000 tpd of refuse. At its permitted capacity, the Puente Hills MRF could produce
approximately 4,000 tpd of residual waste, as a result, the facility would have capacity to receive rail
ready shipping containers from other materials recovery facilities.
Design
Shortly after the Sanitation Districts entered into agreements to purchase the PHIMF property in 2004, the
Sanitation Districts awarded a $2.3 million contract for preliminary design of the PHIMF. During
preliminary design, the consultant evaluated the feasibility of constructing an off-street access between
the Puente Hills MRF and the PHIMF, identified the critical design elements related to the project, and
provided technical information needed for the environmental analysis.
In May 2007, the Sanitation Districts awarded a $9.5 million contract for continued preliminary and final
design services. As the project requires complicated design and construction coordination efforts with
DMS# 1962418
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July 2011
various parties, the Sanitation Districts and the design team began to meet with stakeholders such as SCE,
Caltrans and other utilities providers in mid 2007 to develop solutions.
The project has been divided into four bid packages to accommodate design phasing and expedite
construction: 1) Site Demolition, 2) Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, 3) Puente
Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements, and 4) SR 60 and Crossroads Parkway
Modifications. The consultants completed final plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for the
Site Demolition, the Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements, and the Puente Hills
Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements in Fall 2008, Winter 2009, and Spring 2011 respectively.
Caltrans and City of Industry approved the PS&E for the final component of the project, SR 60 and
Crossroads Parkway Modifications, in May 2011.
Construction
On May 27, 2009, the Sanitation Districts awarded an approximately $1.3 million contract to AMPCO
Contracting, Inc. for demolition of existing buildings at the PHIMF site and within the access corridor.
Site demolition began in July 2009 and was completed in January 2010.
To accommodate the construction of the access road, the Sanitation Districts worked with utility
companies and public agencies to relocate multiple underground utilities along Workman Mill Road,
including a 48-inch water line and a natural gas line. The Sanitation Districts also awarded an
approximately $20 million contract to Skanska for Workman Mill Road and access road improvements on
July 8, 2009. Mobilization and traffic control for the project occurred in November 2009, and
groundbreaking activities began on December 15, 2009. The Workman Mill Road Bridge was completed
in June 2011 and all lanes were reopened on July 1, 2011. Overall project completion is anticipated in
December 2011.
The Sanitation Districts awarded a $79.3 million contract in August 2010 to USS CalBuilders to construct
the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility and Railroad Improvements project. This project consists of all track
work within UPRR right-of-way, including the railroad bridges, as well as the intermodal facility.
Construction began in December 2010 and overall project completion is expected in 2012. For a majority
of the project limits, SCE has 66KV high voltage transmission lines on the north side of the right-of-way
adjacent to the track addition. In some locations, the transmission lines will need to be relocated. The
Sanitation Districts continue to work with SCE to complete the utility relocation design and develop a
construction schedule that does not interfere with SCE’s ability to operate along this important utility
corridor. The Sanitation Districts are also working with public agencies and private property owners to
obtain property rights for construction of this project.
As a mitigation measure for the project, the Sanitation Districts are required to implement a program to
reduce project noise impacts to two residential communities adjacent to the UPRR. The Sanitation
Districts will be constructing an 11-foot retaining and sound wall along these communities as part of the
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility project. Additionally, the Sanitation Districts retained a
contractor to upgrade the windows and patio doors for eligible homes in these communities with
windows/doors that meets certain performance standards for sound reduction. The window and patio
door replacement at the Whittier Woods community commenced in October 2009 and was completed in
December 2009. Work at the Gladstone community began in May 2010 and was completed in
August 2010.
Remaining Work and Approval
A list of work and approval needed to operate a waste-by-rail system is provided below.
DMS# 1962418
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July 2011
Mesquite Regional Landfill
Commence development of waste-by-rail landfill
Fully operational site – December 2008
Railyard and rail spur (95% complete) – August 2011 (estimated completion)
Puente Hills Intermodal Facility
Site Demolition
Design (100% complete) – August 2008
Construction (100% complete) – January 2010
Workman Mill Road and Access Road Improvements
Design (100% complete) – March 2009
Construction (80% complete) – December 2011 (estimated completion)
Railroad Improvements and Intermodal Facility
Design (100% complete) – March 2010
Construction (16% complete) – 2012 (estimated completion)
Modifications to Crossroads Parkway North and SR60
Design (100% complete) – April 2011 (estimated completion)
Construction (0% complete) – 2012 (estimated completion)
E
ONGOING COORDINATION WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
In October 2008, the Sanitation Districts executed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with UPRR.
The MOUs served as the initial agreements to establish rail transportation services between the PHIMF
and the MRL. On June 24, 2009, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved a 15-year, Rail
Transportation Contract with UPRR. The contract establishes the terms and rate for transporting up to
two trains per day of approximately 4,000 tons each of MSW from the PHIMF to MRL. This contract for
service is a significant milestone for both parties to move forward with their plans for construction and
operation of a waste-by-rail system between the PHIMF and MRL. On June 23, 2010, the Sanitation
Districts executed an Industry Track Agreement (ITA) with UPRR for the construction of MRL. The ITA
defines the division of responsibility between UPRR and the Sanitation Districts for the construction,
operation and maintenance of various portion of the track that will serve the railyard at the MRL. The
Sanitation Districts also entered into a Letter Agreement with UPRR in October 2010 that allows the
Sanitation Districts’ contractor to construct an industrial track and related work within the UPRR right-ofway for the PHIMF project. The Sanitation Districts will continue to meet with UPRR and anticipate
entering into agreements with UPRR for construction, maintenance, and operations of the waste-by-rail
system prior to commencement of operations.
F
COST TRANSITION PROGRAM
The Sanitation Districts’ strategy is to provide a gradual cost increase and smooth transition between the
current cost of local disposal capacity and the higher cost of remote disposal. The fund will be composed
of three components: 1) $150 million set aside from gas-to-energy revenues; 2) contributions from future
gas-to-energy revenues; and 3) a portion of future tipping fee increases at the Puente Hills Landfill. This
DMS# 1962418
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July 2011
program is designed to keep tipping fees as low as possible during the 20-year transition period between
the implementation of the Cost Transition Program and the operation of WBR at full costs.
1. Cost Transition Program Implementation
By implementing the cost transition program in 2005, before a waste-by-rail system is needed, a fund will
be created to support at a minimum an initial waste-by-rail project from the Puente Hills MRF. As
discussed above, the fund will be used to provide a stable and controlled transition between the current
disposal fee and the higher cost of waste-by-rail when it is implemented. Accordingly, the $150 million
initial money has already been set aside and annual tipping fee increases of $1.77 per ton per year were
implemented from 2005 to 2007. On October 10, 2007, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors
adopted an ordinance prescribing the tipping fee for Sanitation Districts’ solid waste facilities, including
the Puente Hills Landfill and the Puente Hills MRF. The new tipping fees of $29.42 per ton, $33.86, and
$38.26 became effective on January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2010, respectively. Tipping
fee for 2011 remains the same as 2010 at $38.26 per ton. In January 2011, the Sanitation Districts
introduced a Volume Discount Program to encourage tonnage to the Puente Hills Landfill, which would
provide added revenue to the cost transition program. The Sanitation Districts will continue to evaluate
subsequent increases through the life of the Cost Transition Program and make adjustments as necessary
to reflect changes in costs.
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 53%
since 2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the
Puente Hills Landfill. Therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted
in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
2. Current Disposal and Market Conditions
Landfills throughout Southern California have experienced a continued decline in tonnage since 2005 as a
result of the economic down turn. Table 3 shows a summary of Los Angeles County refuse disposal
tonnage from 2005 to first quarter 2011. As shown, disposal tonnage in Los Angeles County has
decreased by approximately 39% since 2005.
Table 3: Summary of Disposal by Los Angeles County Jurisdictions*
Year
Average (tpd-6**)
Trend (%)
2005
46,409
2006
38,727
-17%
2007
37,031
-4%
2008
33,758
-9%
2009
29,621
-12%
2010
28,637
-3%
First quarter 2011
28,462
-0.6%
Overall Trend from 2005 – First Quarter 2011
-39%
* Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Jurisdictions, County of Los Angeles Department of
Public Works
** tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating days in a year (2005-2010)
and 76 operating days in first quarter 2011.
3. Impacts of Economic Downturn and Market Conditions
The economic downturn has resulted in a significant decrease in refuse disposal. However, as shown in
Table 4, tonnage received at Sanitation Districts’ operated landfills dropped more than the countywide
average. Although a significant amount of the tonnage decline can be attributed to the economy, a certain
DMS# 1962418
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July 2011
portion of tonnage that previously went to publicly operated landfills has been redirected to privately
operated facilities. Private companies have the ability to “internalize” their collection and landfill
operations. By utilizing their own available disposal capacity instead of taking their waste to landfills
owned by others, they are able to maximize capacity and revenue at their own landfills. Increased costs to
transport waste to more distant landfills under their ownership can be offset by charging themselves
reduced tipping fees. Meanwhile, the tipping fee at the Puente Hills Landfill has increased from $22.65
per ton in 2005 to $38.26 per ton in 2011.
Table 4: Summary of Disposal at Sanitation Districts’ Operated Landfills (tpd-6)*
Year
Calabasas1
Puente Hills
Scholl Canyon2
2005
1,783
12,624
1,461
2006
1,634
12,332
1,441
2007
1,497
12,117
1,291
2008
1,191
10,161
1,089
2009
883
8,510
830
2010
817
5,939
791
First quarter 2011
971
5,629
735
Overall Trend from 2005 –
-46%
-55%
-50%
First Quarter 2011
Source: Historical Disposal Tonnages for All In-County Facilities, County of Los Angeles County Department of
Public Works. Tpd-6 = tons per day based on six days per week average, assuming 310 operating per year (20052010) and 76 operating days in first quarter 2011. Includes out of county imports.
1
Calabasas Landfill is prohibited by County ordinance from accepting waste including tires from outside of the wasteshed
area composed of the incorporated cities of (service area) Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks;
that portion of the City of Los Angeles bordered by the northerly line of Township 2 North on the north, Interstate Highway
405 on the east, Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the city boundary on the west; and certain
unincorporated areas in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
2
An ordinance passed by the City of Glendale limits disposal at the landfill to solid wastes generated within the Los Angeles
County incorporated cities of Glendale, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre; the Los
Angeles County unincorporated communities known as Altadena, La Crescenta, Montrose; the unincorporated area bordered
by the cities of San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, and Pasadena; the unincorporated area immediately to the
north of Arcadia, and Pasadena; and the unincorporated area immediately to the north of the City of San Marino bordered by
the City of Pasadena on the west, north and east sides.
4. Impacts to Cost Transition Program
Due to the economic slowdown, the tonnage received at Puente Hills Landfill has decreased by 55% since
2005. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on the tonnage received at the Puente
Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente Hills Landfill has resulted in
reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program.
The drop in tonnage at Puente Hills Landfill from 2007 to 2010 resulted in a loss of approximately $1390
million in tipping fees. With a potentially slow economic recovery, it is uncertain if tonnage levels at the
Puente Hills Landfill will ever return to pre-recession levels and the loss may continue until the Puente
Hills Landfill closes in November 1, 2013. With a set closure date, capacity not consumed at the Puente
Hills Landfill will remain unrecoverable. Funding for the Cost Transition Program depends largely on
the tonnage received at the Puente Hills Landfill; therefore, the loss in tipping fees received at the Puente
Hills Landfill resulted in reduced funding to the Cost Transition Program. Currently, the Sanitation
Districts have set aside adequate funding to construct the infrastructure needed to operate a waste-by-rail
system.
In an effort to both increase the contributions to the cost transition program and maximize the use of the
remaining permitted capacity of the Puente Hills Landfill, a new, tiered volume discount program was
introduced in January 2011. This program offers discounted tipping fee rates to haulers that can bring in
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July 2011
specified volumes of waste in transfer trucks. Waste delivered in transfer trucks is processed more
efficiently and increased landfill tonnage results in overall decreased operating costs per ton. All other
rates remained at the 2010 cost per ton. The Sanitation Districts will continue to monitor the Cost
Transition Program and its ability to provide for a cost-competitive waste-by-rail system.
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July 2011
APPENDIX 5
DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT
RECIPIENT LIST
Salutation
Contact
Agency
Mr. Romo
County of Los Angeles
Fire Department
South Coast Air Quality Management
District
Dr. Pisano
Mr. William Romo, Deputy Forester
Mr. Barry R. Wallerstein, Executive
Officer
Dr. Jane G. Pisano, Director and
President
Address
City State Zip
12605 Osborne Street
Pacoima, CA 91331
21865 East Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Dr. Yang
Dr. Wen Yang
County of Los Angeles
Regional Water Quality Control
Board
Museum of Natural History
900 Expostion Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
320 West 4th Street, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90013
5050 Commerce Drive
900 South Fremont Avenue, Annex
3rd Floor
Baldwin Park, CA 91706
County of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Region
Dept. of Public Health, Solid
Waste Management Program
Dept. of Public Works, Waste
Management Programs
Ms. Chen
Ms. Cindy Chen
County of Los Angeles
Mr. Proano
Mr. Pat Proano
Mr. Alexanian
Mr. Sorin Alexanian
County of Los Angeles
Dept. of Regional Planning
320 West Temple Street
Mr. Hughes
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mr. Michael Hughes
3252 El Sebo Avenue
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Mr. Isaacson
Mr. Bob Isaacson
1832 South Old Canyon Drive
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Ms. Lohff
Ms. Priscilla Lohff
508 South Fourth Avenue
La Puente, CA 91746
Mr. Lohff
Mr. Thomas Lohff
14030 Don Julian Road
La Puente, CA 91746
Mr. McKee
Mr. Duncan McKee
738 South 3rd Avenue
Avocado Heights, CA 91746
Ms. Overmyer-Velazquez
Ms. Rebecca Overmyer-Velazquez
13022 Via Del Sol Avenue
Whittier, CA 90601
Mr. Shubin
Mr. John Shubin
14350 Edgeridge Drive
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Ms. Steinmetz
Ms. Donna Steinmetz
15425 Rojas Street
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Ms. Wash
Ms. Ruth Wash
618 South Arciero Drive
Whittier, CA 90601
Mr. Yann
Mr. Jeff Yann
1622 South Adalia Avenue
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Mr. Wallerstein
Department
Alhambra, CA 91803-1331
APPENDIX 6
DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT
COMMENTS AND RESPONSES
Hacienda Heights Improvement Association
www.hhia.net
Established in 1948
POST OFFICE BOX 5235
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA 91745
September 21, 2011
Ms. Debra Bogdanoff
Supervising Engineer, Planning Section
County Sanitation Districts ofLos Angeles County
1955 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, Ca 90601
Dear Ms. Bogdanoff:
Thank you for providing this opportunity to submit comments on the "Draft Annual Report for
the Puente Hills Landfill" dated September, 2011. The Hacienda Heights Improvement
Association, as a participant on the Puente Hills Landfill Citizens Advisory Committee,
appreciates your concern for our observations.
Re: Section 10. Waste-by-Rail:
The Hacienda Heights Improvement Association is concerned that the Puente Hills Landfill is
not meeting important benchmarks required under its Conditional Use Permit 02-027-(4). While
we appreciate that delays are not always under the control of the Sanitation Districts, one can
understand, our concern, that any pattern of delays would lead to the missing of future even more
important benchmarks set in your CUP. This could ultimately lead to a failure to close the
landfill on October 31, 2013, as is expected by our community and required under your CUP.
It has been noted that the Puente Hills Landfill continues to fall short of its 13,200 tons per day.
of allowable tonnage and indeed in paragraph two of Section 1. Waste Disposal Quantities it
reads in part," Using this density factor, approximately 59.6% or 44.1 million cubic yards have
been filled, out of the 74 million cubic yards available under the currently permitted final plan."
We want all parties concerned to be certain that under !!Q circumstances can this accumulated
shortfall in allowable daily tonnage becomes a measure for an extension of the operational life of
the Puente Hills Landfill beyond its permitted closure date of October 31,2013. This will never
be an acceptable scenario.
Re: Section 8. Interim and Final Fill Revegetation:
Regarding the landfill revegetation planting, we are pleased to note that for the last several years
the Sanitation Districts have planted a palette of almost exclusively native plants. The western
Puente Hills in which the 1,350 acre Puente Hills Landfill is situated is a very special area that
deserves special consideration in its native planting protocols. Any landfill property planting
Ms. Debra Bogdanoff
SEP 26 2011 AM10:20
DOC#
r--------·
L--·---·-···-J
0
September 21, 2011
Page Two
should augment the habitat restoration efforts of the Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat
Preservation Authority. The Sanitation Districts should continue to take advantage of every
opportunity to plant native grasses, plants, and trees on landfill property. We urge the Sanitation
Districts to continue, in particular, the planting of the top deck in a native palette as this gives
this new surface a head start on what will ultimately be a Los Angeles County parkland
greenscape. Once again and as always, we appreciate the patience and understanding of the
Sanitation Districts for our concerns for the protection of our community and preservation of our
local wilderness and the wildlife it supports. The Puente Hills Landfill is an important part of
our community's natural resources. We thank the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts for
any and all support in continuing to protect, preserve, and restore the native habitats within its
jurisdiction. We also note that many native plants in the fuel modification zone are being
crowded out by non-native ground cover. While we understand the erosion protection benefits
of this ground cover, we urge the Districts to prune it back in areas where it is growing up into
native shrubs planted within this same area.
Re: Section 11. Alternative Technologies:
HHIA has long advocated for development of alternatives to the use of landfills for solid waste
disposal. We have been pleased to work with the Districts' representatives on the County's
Alternative Technologies Advisory Subcommittee. Although activities of the Subcommittee
have identified many viable technologies in various stages of implementation world-wide, many
of these are seriously constrained by shortage of an active sponsor with capital to bring them to
market. This was anticipated when we recommended greater funding for technology
development during the last PHLF CUP process. HHIA would like to encourage the Districts to
consider taking a more proactive role in the development of conversion technologies on a
commercial basis in Los Angeles County. Involvement of the expertise gained by the Districts'
personnel in solid waste handling and waste-to-energy may both expedite implementation of
these projects and result in a long-term economic benefit for residents of the cities and
unincorporated areas that use Districts' facilities.
Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions with regards to our concerns please
feel free to contact Mr. JeffY ann, HHIA 's Environment and Water Committee Chair at the at
(626) 968-4572 or email jkyann@roadrunner.com.
cc: Supervisor Don Knabe
Paul Alva, County DPW
RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
Response to Comments from September 15, 2011 Puente Hills Landfill Citizens Advisory
Committee (CAC) Meeting
A statement in Section IV.F.4. (2nd paragraph) of the April 2011 and July 2011 Status Reports on
the Development of a Waste-By-Rail System and the Evaluation of Alternative Technologies
should read: “The drop in tonnage at Puente hills Landfill from 2007 to 2010 resulted in a loss of
approximately $139.0 million in tipping fees.”
This dollar amount changed in the Status Reports because Districts’ staff refined their
assumptions. The initial estimate considered lost revenue from energy production as well as
tipping fees. However, the energy number is highly variable, so the group moved to a more
simplified calculation. The latter calculation is based solely on lost tipping fees.
Response to Comments from John Eckman, President of the Hacienda Heights
Improvement Association, Inc.
Section 8 of Draft Annual Report
The current appearance of the landfill site and plant palette has been developed over time in
accordance with the land use permits for the site, as well as input received from the community
regarding the establishment of native and ornamental plants at the landfill. The Districts remain
committed to operating the site, when possible, in a manner consistent with community input and the
anticipated final use of the landfill. The Districts staff will continue to maintain both native and nonnative vegetation in a manner consistent with the fuel modification zone.
Section 10 of Draft Annual Report
The Districts appreciate the concerns of the Hacienda Heights community. As you are aware,
Condition 13 of the Conditional Use Permit Case No. 02-027-(4) (CUP) requires that “…no further
waste be accepted at the Facility for landfilling…” after October 31, 2013. In keeping with this
requirement, the Districts have prepared and submitted on October 31, 2011 the Final Closure and
Post Closure Maintenance Plans pursuant to State Regulations. The Districts plan to close the landfill
on October 31, 2013.
CUP Condition No. 58 required that the Districts “…use best faith efforts to pursue and expedite the
development of the permittee’s proposed waste-by-rail system….” The condition included
milestones that the Districts needed to meet. The development of the waste-by-rail system is a
complex and ambitious endeavor. All of the infrastructure at the Mesquite Regional Landfill is now
complete and permitted to receive waste from Los Angeles County by both rail and truck. In-county
infrastructure at the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility is under construction and should be complete in
2012. To date, the Districts have committed in excess of $400 million toward property acquisition
and infrastructure development for the waste-by-rail system to provide for the long term disposal
needs of Los Angeles County residents.
Section 11 of Draft Annual Report
The Districts have provided funding for development of alternative technologies pursuant to the
landfill CUP. Additionally, Districts’ is an active member of the Alternative Technologies Advisory
Subcommittee. However, the Districts have no plans to increase its significant investments in solid
waste infrastructure to develop alternative technology facilities at this time.
APPENDIX 7
“AS BUILT” DIAGRAMS
ROSE HILLS
IN / OUT METERS
2"
8"
4"
4"
2"
MID-ZONE
CONNECTION
METER
AIR GAP
& RP
RP
BENCH 5
METER
M4-2
M4-6
M4-3
L1-1
AIR GAP TANK
6"
BENCH
500,000 Gal. SGVW
7
6"
6"
L1-5
L2-0
4"
L2-1
L2-2
6"
4"
6"
4"
6"
L2-3
69D-g-27
L1-4
L3-2
L2-4
6"
L3-1
L1-3
2"
RP
L3-3
RP
2"
L3-4
L3-5
IRRIGATION WATER LINE
(HIGH ZONE)
6"
1"
L4-0
PUMP
RP
STATION #1
IRRIGATION WATER LINE
(MID ZONE)
IRRIGATION WATER LINE
(LOW ZONE)
n: \ lfm \ ph \ irr \ ph wtrdist n83.dgn
8’-5" x 10’
R.C. BOX
STORM DRAIN
BRANCHING
STRUCTURE
I
JUNCTION
STRUCTURE
C
D
J
G
TANK
H1
A9
A1
36"
H
A
B
J11
A6
J10
TANK
TANK
A7
A8
A5
H1
L
LEGEND
PROPERTY LINE
N
DEBRIS / SEDIMENTATION BASIN
(LABELED A - S)
LINE
DESIGNATION
N
LINE SIZE
& MATERIAL
D5
DRAIN PIPE (ABOVE GROUND)
M5
36" CSP
CONTRACT
DRAWING #
DRAIN PIPE (BURIED)
PAVED ACCESS
S
CONCRETE CHANNEL
P
UNPAVED ACCESS
N
WATER-CARRYING ROAD
ABBREVIATIONS
OFF-SITE DRAIN
DRAIN INLET (RISER PIPE)
DRAIN INLET (CONCRETE)
ADS
-
ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (CORRUGATED HDPE)
CSHP
-
CORRUGATED STEEL HALF-ROUND PIPE
CSP
-
CORRUGATED STEEL PIPE
HDPE
-
HIGH DENSITY POLY ETHYLENE
TRAP
-
TRAPEZOIDAL
PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL
EXISTING DRAINAGE SYSTEM
SCALE: 1"=400’
TOPOGRAPHY DATE: May 02, 2011
Contour Interval: 25’
n: \ lfm \ ph \ drainage \ Mstr Drainage.dgn
Revised as of:
September 2011
MAINT.
& CONST.
BLDG
SITE
OPERATIONS
BLDG
PUENTE HILLS
FIELD OFFICE
CYN 9
PMP.STA.
TANK
MAINTENANCE
BLDG
MRF
FACILITY
PERG
FACILITY
TANK
TANK
LCRS
BACKUP
CONVEYANCE
WAREHOUSE
OFFICE
TRAILERS
LUNCH
ROOMS
CYN 4
PMP.STA.
LCRS
HOLDING
TANKS
SEWER LINE
LUNCH
ROOM
LCRS
CONVEYANCE
LEGEND
N
0’
400’
800
1200’
1600
GRAPHIC SCALE
Topography Date: May 02, 2011
Source: Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, 2011
Revised:
Contour Interval: 25’
September 2011
n: \ lfm \ ph \ master plan \ LCRS PipeNetwork.dgn
12"
24"
18"
64-019K
62-025K
TANK
64-033
8"
06-403
64-034
06-393
64-037
06-385
66-927
64-040
64-036
06-378
05-200
66-035
21-070
21-080
21-060
21-090
66-026
64-050
12"
12"
22-029
22-052
22-046
15-138
64-047
22-035
22-058
8"
68-032
22-025
21-050
66-044
22-008
64-051
15-133
68-036
22-065
15-129
18-075
18-073
33-135
33-111
22-076
66-045
68-033
18-049
18-042
33-121
33-126
33-124
15-126
18-078
22-083
18-025
68-042
21-030
15-123
38-174
38-950
15-075
18-088
36-014
42-501
42-505
42-515
39-899
22-124
32-038
70-125
42-545
42-535
42-525
70-118
38-128
32-957
36-009
70-156
22-128
70-147
38-129
32-030
72-279
22-131
70.130
70-133
32-067
32-060
32-927
70-157
39-895
32-958
18-125
70-146
70-136
42-565
38-131
32-956
36-019
70-153
70-115
42-573
39-901
22-121
18-114
68-957
68-054
70-126
39-909
38-135
08-930
36-017
36-011
39-808
68-958
68-052
39-016
22-117
21-010
08-940
08-923
68-049
70-117
39-026
39-007
39-003
08-950
08-918
32-855
39-005
22-113
08-960
32-945
32-943
39-904
38-139
22-109
15-800
08-970
32-954
18-094
39-034
22-105
32-953
08-909
68-050
38-142
15-068
08-901
38-161
38-155
22-087
18-002
32-952
66-070
38-954
15-065
32-951
32-049
38-152
38-148
18-022
18-082
68-041
70-105
22-134
36-907
38-048
18-137
36-906
32-925
38-119
32-977
38-118
38-115
38-955
42-195
38-113
32-071
42-205
36-155
42-367
38-105
38-101
42-448
38-860
18-145
38-061
38-907
38-850
32-917
42-428
38-097
38-094
42-418
32-091
45-085
42-407
44-032
38-840
42-398
38-908
42-239
18-151
42-376
38-093
38-972
42-255
43-035
44-916
42-391
32-081
38-968
45-097
42-438
38-098
42-221
45-077
44-112
44-108
42-359
44-103
42-099
38-087
44-037
44-093
42-349
48-166
42-098
42-279
45-951
44-087
43-054
48-172
45-952
44-090
38-981
38-076
43-052
45-060
44-096
43-045
44-925
38-830
45-950
42-335
44-084
43-061
45-949
44-917
44-945
42-308
48-959
42-097
45-945
43-075
43-085
49-208
43-079
48-151
49-218
30"
42-096
48-186
44-968
48-246
57-139
44-063
49-955
48-195
58-236ST
44-965
48-266
49-233
43-922
52-553
43-088
44-062
48-197
48-141
TANK
52-551
44-079
49-200
43-923
38-800
42-095
52-498
43-095
48-177
44-915
45-948
43-112
48-179
38-810
45-947
45-946
42-323
43-068
44-052
76-296
57-133ST
44-059
49-954
48-134
49-154
35-005
57-129
76-287
44-966
48-279
52-328
76-280
49-269
49-260
57-136
48-328
76-262
76-118
77-296
76-268
GW
48-312
42-094
TANK
43-921
76-124
77-276
49-326
49-279
91-201ST
49-342
48-136
49-308
76-230
76-131
49-953
77-267
76-252
76-209
49-318
53-110
77-248
76-220
52-334
78-191
77-149
76-178
49-152
77-239
58-180
58-146ST
78-189
76-210
77-152
43-920
35-015
58-231
52-330
77-257
76-250
58-136
58-148
78-187
52-350
78-185
35-010
49-952
48-116
35-020
78-092
77-229
76-168
78-098
52-360
52-761ST
52-340
76-200
79-215
77-234
52-763
78-184
78-183
35-025
77-178
77-222
77-183
58-239
77-207
77-192
78-108
78-095
52-768ST
78-181
77-198
79-222
58-130
77-177
59-200
59-205
48-109
35-0305
77-188
78-118
49-151
57-152
79-226
78-165
78-139
78-145
59-210
59-215
59-220
59-225
78-168
77-204
78-129
90-990K
52-766ST
43-919
35-030
90-991K
77-168
12" HDPE
58-120
78-155
00-060K
58-241
79-165
00-054K
00-004K
52-233T
52-235T
52-245T
52-255T
52-265T
52-275T
52-285T
52-295T
43-918
79-235
58-110
57-154
79-245
79-194
48-080
79-185
79-205
79-263
79-228
79-135
35-036
58-245
57-156
58-100
48-068
79-095
79-248
58-248
57-158
35-037
52-871ST
59-898
58-090
79-108
79-156
79-268
52-860
58-080
79-123
79-138
59-991
58-070
57-160
35-038
57-170
58-060
59-993
57-180
35-039
58-050
78-029
57-190
59-995
58-040
35-050
35-040
59-997
35-060
78-915
78-016
77-007
78-007
78-006
77-005
78-004
78-0071
77-003
78-005
78-003
87-297
87-287
77-001
78-002
87-258
78-000
78-901
84-005T
84-010T
85-200T
92-859
83-005T
85-185
85-180T
82-120
87-076
92-863
89-213
87-074ST
82-130
85-160T
84-025
85-155
82-140
84-030
82-150
82-137
85-145
82-205T
30" to 27"
REDUCER
84-040
82-160
88-150
87-057ST
82-155
82-165
82-175
82-154
84-049K
84-004K
85-140T
84-051K
88-160
83-070
83-053K
85-130
83-990K
83-001K
84-050
82-215T
85-125
89-293
83-080
88-170
84-057
82-225T
83-090
85-120T
92-418T
92-419T
92-420T
92-421T
92-422T
92-423T
92-424T
84-070
83-100
85-115
84-074
85-110
84-076
91-258T
86-110T
84-078
85-100T
85-090
84-090
85-082
84-110
85-080T
91-250T
86-100T
84-120T
85-060T
86-083
89-250
89-240
87-004
87-903
87-002
87-901
87-900
87-001ST
87-000ST
87-801ST
PUENTE HILLS LANDFILL
GAS CONTROL SYSTEM
89-197
87-750ST
87-003ST