Spadra Landfill to Close

On Saturday, Spadra Landfill, located in the city of Pomona, CA, will close to the general public after having served the eastern San Gabriel Valley since 1957.

The site normally took in 2,500 tpd of refuse but in recent months, as closure approached, had been limited to 1,500 tpd. In the short term, most of the trash from the surrounding cities will go to the Puente Hills Landfill, in Whittier, with some going to out-of-county facilities.

The Spadra Landfill began operations on a 128-acre site formerly known as Smith Ranch. It was operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, under a joint powers agreement with the California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly Pomona) and the county of Los Angeles. The Districts purchased additional acreage over the years to add to the landfill.

With the closure of the landfill, plans for closure and post-closure will be implemented. The plans identify a 15-month period, following the receipt of the final load of refuse, that includes the placement of a 5-ft final cover over the fill, removal of the weigh scales for reuse at other sites, installation of a landscape and irrigation system over the final side slopes, and construction of access roads and drainage facilities.

Under the post-closure plan, the Districts will also continue to monitor and maintain the environmental controls, which include groundwater and surface-water monitoring and landfill gas control. Cal Poly Pomona will be responsible for the post-closure land development, which initially is for perennial pastures, and eventually will include a combination of education, research, recreation, and open-space uses.

Edited by Kate Goff