Sanitation Districts Break Ground On Mesquite Regional Landfill
Whittier, CA - Recently, the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County broke ground for the Mesquite Regional Landfill located 35 miles east of Brawley in Imperial County, California. The Mesquite Regional Landfill will become Southern California's first waste-by-rail facility. The landfill is being developed and will be operated by the Sanitation Districts.
As local landfills in Los Angeles County reach capacity and close, there is a need to develop new disposal methods for the 39,000 tons of waste per day that remain after recycling efforts. The hauling of waste by train to remote landfills, also known as waste-by-rail, is one of these methods. The Mesquite Regional Landfill will be the cornerstone of a regional waste-by-rail system serving Los Angeles County.
"We are breaking ground on this state-of-the-art landfill to have it operational in 2009," said Stephen R. Maguin, Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Sanitation Districts. "We are very proud of this project which will provide an environmentally responsible, long-term, solid waste management solution for Southern California as well as economic benefits for Imperial County."
The Mesquite Regional Landfill is permitted to receive up to 20,000 tons of non-hazardous solid waste per day with 1,000 tons per day available for Imperial County. The site has capacity for 100 years of operation.
The project was fully permitted 10 years ago by Gold Fields' Arid Operations. The Sanitation Districts acquired the Mesquite Regional Landfill project in late 2002 and have been working toward having the site operational in 2009.
More than $100 million will be spent during the initial construction of the site. The first major construction is a $25M road and drainage project. Granite Construction was awarded this project, which should be completed in mid-2008.
The Mesquite Regional Landfill will incorporate many environmental safeguards including redundant ground water protection features, a landfill gas recovery system that will eventually provide fuel for power generation, an extensive desert tortoise protection program, and measures for screening out unacceptable waste. Prior to being loaded onto a train, waste will be screened for hazardous and other unacceptable wastes and also processed for recyclables. The remaining or "residual" waste will be loaded into rail-ready intermodal containers that will be sealed until being emptied. Trains will haul the containers over the Union Pacific mainline. The landfill will be served by a five-mile rail spur and intermodal yard to be constructed as part of the project.
"The Sanitation Districts offer a track record of responsible environmental stewardship and innovation in the field of solid waste management," added Maguin. "We have 50 years of experience in building and operating landfills. This landfill will meet or exceed stringent local, state, and federal environmental requirements."
SOURCE: The Sanitation Districts