Chiquita Canyon Landfill Faces Heat and Pressure in Gas Management Efforts
By Tim Haddock and Sage Rafferty
Chiquita Canyon Landfill faces challenges with landfill gas (LFG) emissions due to high temperatures and difficult drilling conditions. The South Coast AQMD is proposing stricter regulations, including a remote monitoring system and operational changes, to address these issues. However, the landfill operator, Waste Connections, opposes some of these measures, citing concerns about feasibility and effectiveness.
August 24, 2024 - The South Coast Air Quality Management District is considering pausing operations in the morning at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill near Castaic, and making other modifications to an order of abatement issued almost a year ago.
The Chiquita Canyon Landfill faces the complex task of managing landfill gas (LFG) emissions. This gas, primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, can contribute to air pollution and climate change. To mitigate these issues, landfills often implement gas extraction systems, which involve drilling wells to capture and control the gas.
However, drilling deeper wells can be challenging due to factors like pressure, temperature, and the presence of liquids in the landfill. These conditions can cause borehole collapse, hindering the ability to reach the desired depth for effective gas extraction.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is considering ordering the landfill to pause operations from 7 to 10 a-m, when trash odors have been reported to be strongest, reducing the landfill's working face by 50 percent, conducting daily inspections and testing for leachate leaks.
The modifications were introduced at a hearing August 13th at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons in Valencia. The hearing continued the following week at the South Coast AQMD headquarters in Diamond Bar.
The AQMD is also seeking to require Chiquita Canyon Landfill to install a remote monitoring system in approximately 240 wells, a requirement that Waste Connections has been arguing against. This system would monitor well pressure and temperatures, providing real-time data to landfill operators. AQMD believes that real-time data will allow operators to better understand the landfill and optimize the operation of the wells, potentially improving gas extraction efficiency and reducing emissions.
Nathaniel Dickel, a senior quality engineer with the Toxic Waste Team at Southwest AQMD, testified at the hearing. Megan Morgan of Beverage and Diamond, the attorney for landfill operator Waste Connections, was skeptical that so many wells needed to be monitored. While Dickel acknowledged that the system could be beneficial, he also notes that it's possible to achieve well field optimization with a smaller number of wells. The specific number of wells required would depend on various factors, and the witness is unable to provide a definitive answer.
Kathryn Roberts, senior deputy director counsel for the AQMD, presented a status report at the hearing in Valencia. She reported that the landfill is behind schedule in its follow-up of the order of abatement issued in September. She brought the issue up once again at the AQMD hearing in Diamondbar.
Morgan argued that Roberts was being misleading in saying that Chiquita Canyon Landfill was behind schedule.
“If we've stipulated to changing it, why do we need evidence discussion about the deadline?” Morgan contested.
“Because there's still a standard of good cause, and we do still need to put in evidence to support why we're proposing a modification,” Roberts responded. “If there's not evidence that they're behind schedule, then they would not need any modification whatsoever to this condition. The district will still insist the clarification, which meets the purpose of 15B, that all wells need to be drilled to a desired depth. If Chiquita is rescinding their stipulation as to extending the schedule because they don't consider it an extension, then that's a change in my understanding. But as proposed, the parties are proposing to extend the schedule. And it's a fair question to ask, do we need to extend the schedule?”
Megan Morgan grilled Nathaniel Dickel about the practicality of installing a monitoring system in wells that far exceed the typical temperature range for landfills. She argued that the current routine testing is sufficient and that a monitoring system would be unnecessary and potentially ineffective.
Morgan asked Dickel, “So you testified earlier that your understanding was this was some, and I don't wanna mistake what you said, so please correct me if I get this wrong, but you testified that your understanding of the problem was something that Chiquita just needed to talk with the manufacturers to figure out how to solve it. Is that right?”
“I think that's kind of the basis of this condition is to get that information of what has been discussed and ensure that it's like engineering solutions are being sought out,” Dickel responded.
“That's, I guess, my understanding.”
“And are you aware that numerous engineers that are qualified to install and design a remote monitoring system have evaluated this at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill and determined there are serious concerns with viability and functionality?” Morgan asked.
Dickel admitted that the monitoring equipment would likely not function in temperatures at the landfill, which can exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Normal temperatures at landfills are around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. He emphasized the need to engineer a solution to develop monitoring equipment that will survive temperatures at the landfill.
The Chiquita Canyon Landfill operators were notified in June they were in violation of the federal Clean Air Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The landfill was notified of violations for excessive toxic air emissions in a letter dated June 4th. The operators of the landfill and the company that owns it, Waste Connections, received the notice from the EPA.
The landfill was also in violation of its operating permit by emitting high levels of toxic gases such as benzene and volatile organic compounds that are known to create smog and contribute to the formation of the ozone, which can cause lung damage.
It was the first time the EPA issued a violation to the landfill operators and owner. The South Coast AQMD has received more than 15,000 complaints about the landfill from nearby residents since January 20-23. The EPA is leading a multi-agency task force to monitor the landfill and track the pollution it is creating.
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Santa Clarita Weekly
Listen to Santa Clarita Weekly with Tim Haddock and Sage Rafferty right here on SantaClaritaStar.com, on YouTube, and wherever you listen to Podcasts. The show is also on the radio on KQRU 107.9 every week on Saturdays at 9:00 AM.