Expansion of Landfill in Azusa Endorsed

Reversing its earlier recommendation, the staff of the state Water Resources Control Board has endorsed an expansion of an Azusa landfill.

The expansion is opposed by San Gabriel Valley water officials.

In a 22-page report released Tuesday, the staff concluded that a new ground-water protection system proposed for the landfill “will ensure adequate separation between the waste and underlying ground water.”

Robert Berlien, general manager of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, said the recommendation is a major setback for water officials who have fought against continued operation of the dump.

Berlien said that water officials will attend the state water board meeting in Sacramento on Aug. 17 to oppose the plan for the Azusa Land Reclamation Co. landfill but that the recommendation will be difficult to overcome. “It sure changes the odds a lot,” he said.

Opposition Maintained

Representatives of Azusa Land Reclamation sought unsuccessfully last week to persuade local water officials that their new plan--which calls for adding a second plastic liner and liquid collection system under the trash disposal area--would prevent seepage into underlying ground water.

After hearing the company’s presentation, the San Gabriel Valley Watermaster board, which manages the area’s ground water, voted to maintain its opposition. Board members argued that the dump site, which is in a gravel pit, contains soil so porous that the danger to ground water cannot be overcome by plastic liners and other protective measures.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board in November of last year approved a plan to shift trash disposal to a new area of the dump, extending the dump’s life by up to 20 years. The San Gabriel Valley Watermaster appealed the decision to the state water board.

The state board staff recommended in April that the regional decision be overturned, agreeing with the watermaster that the proposed safeguards would not protect ground water. However, the Azusa Land Reclamation Co. upgraded the plan, leading the staff this week to reverse its position.