CIWMB Press Room Archives

Waste Board Approves Cleanup of Imperial County Landfill Near Border

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board approved a three-quarter million-dollar cleanup project to protect sections of the New River, north of the California-Mexico border, from the Brawley Landfill in Imperial County. An eroding 1,000-foot long section of the landfill has been slowly collapsing, sending trash and soil into the river, which flows into the Salton Sea from Mexico.

The Waste Board is one of six boards and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

"This project will put a timely and safe end to a long-standing environmental risk that Imperial County has not had the funds to address," said Waste Board Chair Linda Moulton-Patterson. "We recognize that the value of being good neighbors, whether between homeowners or countries, often includes keeping a clean backyard."

The Waste Board will use the $750,000 allocation it approved yesterday to fix those parts of the landfill posing a threat to the New River. A State contractor will relocate approximately 97,000 cubic yards of soil and refuse from the banks of the New River to a more stable part of the landfill and install other erosion-fighting measures that eliminate the environmental risks posed by conditions at the facility.

Over the years, the county-owned and operated solid waste dump just north of Brawley has become a source of environmental concern within the 100-kilometer Border Region between California and Mexico. Last year, the Brawley Landfill was on the Waste Board's inventory of solid waste facilities that violate State minimum standards for uncorrected drainage and erosion control violations. The Board's local enforcement agency has put the facility on a compliance schedule to address the infractions.

Relocating the soil and trash to the landfill's deck, besides making the site safer, will shorten the site's estimated lifespan by approximately three years, according to the county. After completion of the cleanup project this year, officials estimate the Brawley Landfill will reach capacity and close in February 2002. 

In response to the Board's actions, the county has committed to the early closure of three other Border Region landfills, besides Brawley, at a total cost of $2.2 million to help protect the environment in the area. All of Imperial County lies within the Border Region.

Imperial County operates 10 unlined landfills near Brawley, Calexico Solid Waste, Holtville, Hot Spa, Imperial, Niland, Ocotillo, Palo Verde, Picacho, and Salton City, that have suffered significant disposal rate and revenue declines from consolidation of the solid waste industry and breakup of the county Solid Waste Joint Powers Authority.

Over the years, the county's solid waste program has seen revenues drop substantially. Early closure of the unlined landfills will benefit the environment, while allowing Imperial County to consolidate operations, convert old landfills into transfer stations that separate recyclable materials out of the waste stream, and increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its solid waste programs.

The Border Region is an area that extends 100-kilometers north and south of the international border between Mexico and the United States.  The region is a major Cal/EPA area of environmental focus.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use, and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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