Sunshine Canyon Landfill issued order to reduce odors

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), the California regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, has issued an order for abatement requiring Sunshine Canyon Landfill to implement stricter and innovative measures to reduce odors that have been impacting the community.

The landfill is owned and operated by Republic Services Inc., Phoenix. Since January 2023, South Coast AQMD says it has received more than 4,000 odor complaints from nearby residents and an elementary school regarding Sunshine Canyon Landfill. During this period, South Coast AQMD has issued more than 150 notices of violation against the landfill for public nuisance, citing violations of the agency’s Rule 402 and California Health & Safety Code Section 41700.

The agency says Sunshine Canyon Landfill has worked cooperatively with South Coast AQMD to incorporate additional measures and practices to minimize odor impacts.

The order requires Sunshine Canyon Landfill to take additional actions, including:

• Odor prevention with microbiology: Use aerobic microbiology solutions during waste operations to reduce odors like “fresh trash” and methane.

• Closure turf feasibility: Explore installing gas and leachate systems without disturbing existing closure turfs designed to prevent erosion and emissions.

• Enhanced emissions data: Pilot advanced methods like drones and robotic vehicles to identify potential problem areas and collect more real-time data, including in the evening.

• Odor neutralization: Apply odor neutralizers and microbiology-based solutions at transfer stations to control odors before disposal.

• Gas movement: Test using larger granular materials such as gravel and crushed rock around landfill gas wells to improve gas flow. These larger size materials create more space between particles, allowing gas to move more freely and reducing pressure buildup.

• Daily odor patrols: Perform and document twice-daily patrols to identify odor sources and leachate seeps.

Sunshine Canyon Landfill is classified as a Class III landfill and can only accept municipal solid waste, which means no hazardous waste can be accepted at the landfill. The landfill’s solid waste facility permit limit is 12,100 tons per day and the landfill receives roughly 9,000 tons of waste per day, handling approximately one-third of the daily waste of all of Los Angeles County.