Judge’s ruling a setback for landfill expansion
The Contra Costa Times
CONTRA COSTA, CA - Plans to expand a Solano County landfill that accepts about half of Contra Costa's garbage were dealt a blow this week when a judge said environmental concerns were not adequately considered.
The Potrero Hills Landfill, which sits just above environmentally sensitive wetlands in Suisun Marsh, is expected to close in about five years unless it gets approval to expand. The planned expansion would quadruple the size of the landfill and extend its life by about 35 years.
For Contra Costa residents, the fate of Potrero Hills landfill could be important because for years it has served as a low-cost disposal site for about one-fourth of the county's trash. When a major landfill in Richmond closed last fall, the garbage that used to go to that landfill shifted to Solano County, meaning half of all Contra Costa's garbage goes across the county border to Potrero Hills.
If the landfill closes, it could force trash collection agencies to find other disposal or recycling options, which could lead to higher rates.
Environmentalists oppose the expansion because the landfill sits just above Suisun Marsh, the site of some of the state's most important wetlands and a breeding and feeding ground for many species of fish and birds.
Since 2002, Potrero Hills has been cited 11 times by regulators for violations ranging from blowing litter to accepting too much garbage.
Other environmentalists are opposed because they say the low cost of disposing trash there discourages recycling.
The ruling, issued Monday by Solano County Superior Court Judge Paul Beeman, found that the environmental impact report done for the expansion project fell short in three ways.
The analysis failed to back up its claims that air pollution would be adequately offset and that neighbors' water wells would not be drawn down.
The court also found that landfill owner Republic Services Inc. should consider options that would move the landfill away from the environmentally sensitive marsh, and perhaps out of Solano County.
The court's ruling is the latest setback for Republic Services, which had sought state agency approval late last year but has run into numerous questions from a skeptical San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. A hearing before the state commission was originally scheduled in January but has been pushed back to May or June. This week's court action could further delay the permit hearing.
A spokeswoman for Republic Services said the company was confident it could address the deficiencies cited by the judge and continue pursuing its expansion plans.
"These are three areas we believe we can fix. We're actually pleased with the court's ruling," spokeswoman Sue Vaccaro said.
"It's a setback, but it's not a disaster" for Republic Services, said David Tam, one of 11 directors of the Northern California Recycling Association, which brought the lawsuit with other environmentalists and residents.
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