BURBANK : Liner Regulation Cuts Landfill’s Life Span

Federal regulations that went into effect last month have cut in half the life expectancy for the city of Burbank’s landfill. The rules also will result in higher fees for residential garbage pickup.

The increase in garbage collection fees probably will be phased in during the next few years, but the exact amount will not be known for several months while city officials evaluate the effect of a $14-million liner made of clay and plastic, said Sylvia Glazer, administrative officer for the Burbank Public Works Department.

The requirement, set out by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for all active landfills, went into effect Oct. 9. Because the liner--used to protect ground water from landfill seepage--would not work on a slope, the city will have less room to use. And the life expectancy of the landfill, once expected to continue until 2077, will be cut by about 40 years, Glazer said.

Glazer said the liner will be built during the next 10 to 15 years.

“Next year we will begin our first phase,” Glazer said. “We’re probably looking at a cost--between now and 1996--of $8 million for liner excavation, engineering and construction.”

The Burbank landfill, which takes in nearly 6,000 tons of residential waste per month, opened in 1971 with 24 acres expected to expand to 86 acres before it was scheduled to close. It does not accept commercial, industrial or hazardous wastes. The landfill is in the northeastern part of the Verdugo Mountains, a quarter of a mile north of Bel Aire Drive.

Next to the active landfill are two older, closed Burbank landfills that will not be affected by the new federal regulations, Glazer said.

She added that the life of the landfill could also be extended through recycling programs. The city has set a goal of reducing landfill waste by 35% through recycling by June of next year.