BREA : City Aims to Ease Effects of Added Trash Runs

City officials hope that out-of-county trash will not be trucked to a Brea landfill.

But if the garbage does start coming in, an agreement approved by the City Council on Tuesday would reduce the effects of the extra truck traffic on local streets.

The agreement came in response to an Orange County plan to accept out-of-county trash for disposal in three of its landfills, including the Olinda-Alpha Landfill in Brea. That move would generate desperately needed revenue for the county, which has been strapped for cash since its December bankruptcy filing.

Brea officials have expressed serious concerns about the plan, but City Manager Frank Benest pointed out “that there is little we can do to stop the county.”

To help ease negative effects on Brea, the council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the county that calls for:

* Minimizing the amount of out-of-county trash hauled through the city by removing recyclables and hazardous household wastes at a materials recovery facility.

* Requiring out-of-county waste to be hauled in large trucks, thus reducing the number of trash vehicles on local roads.

* Permitting a daily average of no more than 6,000 tons of trash to be deposited at the Brea landfill. The current daily average is 4,300 tons to 4,400 tons.

* Paying the city 81 cents a ton for out-of-county trash. That would generate about $350,000 a year for Brea.

In addition, the county or the Orange County Transportation Authority would pay to build sound walls along Imperial Highway to lessen noise at the Glenbrook subdivision in Brea and the Gingerwood subdivision in Fullerton.