 AQMD visits the County’s landfill
to view our composting operation
Fun fact: Orange County is a California leader in landfill technology. We have three landfills and together they create enough energy to power 68,000 homes. This is accomplished by harvesting methane gas that is produced from green waste.
The green waste is converted to compost and mulch, which sits in large piles. The material is distributed throughout the County and free to residents and businesses. This is why recycling your green waste has value.
I sit on the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) board and recently invited leadership to tour the Bowerman landfill in Irvine to discuss the compost issue. Chairman Michael Cacciotti, Vice Chair Larry McCallon, Board of Supervisors Chair Doug Chaffee and Yorba Linda Mayor Carlos Rodriguez were among the attendees.
Installing covers over the compost will speed up the green transformation process and double capacity. It also cuts emissions by 90% or takes 40,000 vehicles off the road. AQMD must approve installation of the covers, which were requested by OC Waste & Recycling three years ago. If approved, Orange County would be the first public landfill in the state to utilize this technology which is called Covered Aerated Static Pile (CASP).
AQMD officials indicated at the tour that they were open to upgrades and will review this issue next month in a working group. If the permit is not granted, the County will be forced to pay at least $3 million for emission reduction credits.
“This is entirely unnecessary as we have an innovative solution to the pollution problem,” said Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen. “I’m hoping we can speed up this process. Three years is entirely too long, wasting time and taxpayer dollars.”
Free compost is available at the landfills and many city yards. Go to https://oclandfills.com/compost for more information.
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