UltraSystems Environmental to monitor Chiquita Canyon Landfill

UltraSystems Environmental, Inc., based in Irvine, California, was recently awarded a five-year contract to monitor the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved the $4.5 million contract to monitor current conditions of the landfill and develop and implement any mitigation efforts that may be needed.

The contract comes after the board voted in 2017 to expand the landfill, which is a subsidiary of Waste Connections, The Woodlands, Texas. The move resulted in community contention and a civil lawsuit over the expansion, which the board approved despite it reaching its 23-million-ton cap.

In exchange for the continued operation and expansion of the landfill, the county agreed to retain an independent consultant to monitor the conditions of approval and mitigation measures throughout the life of the permit, which expires in 2047.

Under the contract, UltraSystems will:

• Assess odors, noise, dust or other air quality-related issues and other environmental impact areas related to complaints by the community or as directed by the county.
• Monitor and report deficiencies in facility operations that may contribute to odor nuisance and/or prevent the landfill operator from reducing odor nuisance at the landfill facility, and recommend control or operational measures that could be considered and be more effective in controlling odors.
• Monitor the site, along with residential and public areas in the vicinity of the landfill, to determine the effectiveness of the odor control measures currently being used at the landfill.
• Spot surface monitor the landfill for gas emissions and localized odors and determine whether a correlation exists between any emissions found on the landfill and offsite odors.
• Identify any operational deficiencies and provide reports and recommendations for corrective actions.
• Review, monitor, and analyze the existing and future improvements to the Gas Collection and Control System (GCCS) for sound engineering design and operation.
• Provide a detailed report on the ability of the current and future GCCS infrastructure design, operations and implementation schedule to effectively manage and control landfill gas generated from the current and annual projected waste mass.
• Identify any deficiencies and provide recommendations for improvements.