Draft EIR for Scholl Canyon Landfill Expansion

The City of Glendale (City), acting as the Lead Agency, has determined that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required to address potential impacts from implementation of the Scholl Canyon Landfill Expansion (proposed project). The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Sanitation Districts), acting on behalf of the City, will serve as the primary project contact during the review of the Draft EIR pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The proposed project is located in Los Angeles County at 3001 Scholl Canyon Road, Glendale.  Regional access to the landfill is from the Ventura Freeway (State Route 134) at the Figueroa Street exit. Public access is only from Scholl Canyon Road. The project site consists of a total of 535 acres, 440 acres of which are designated for landfill operations and 95 acres of which are designated for related operations. The 440-acre operation area includes 314 acres of active area and 126 acres of inactive area.

The specific objectives of the proposed project are to:

• Continue to provide a waste disposal option that has been proven to be environmentally sound and cost effective at the currently permitted rate of 3,400 tons per day.

• Continue waste diversion programs that are critically important for landfill users to achieve state-mandated diversion requirements

• Allow the City to maximize the use of a local resource for waste disposal, thus minimizing hauling distances and related environmental impacts.

• Allow for further development of disposal and diversion options, such as alternative technologies, for landfill users.

Two variations have been identified for the proposed project, which include a vertical expansion only (Variation 1) and a vertical and horizontal expansion (Variation 2). Variation 1 will provide approximately 11.5 million cubic yards of additional capacity and will extend the life of the landfill by 13 years (assuming a continued baseline disposal rate of 1,400 tons per day). Variation 2 will provide approximately 16.5 million cubic yards of additional capacity and will extend the life of the landfill by 19 years. Neither variation would change current operations at the Scholl Canyon Landfill. The proposed project will provide waste diversion programs and disposal capacity to help meet the solid waste management needs of the City and other landfill users. The proposed project would also include the continued recovery of materials such as green waste, asphalt, soil, tires, metals, and other economically recoverable commodities through ongoing landfill waste diversion programs, which help jurisdictions to comply with state-mandated diversion goals. In addition, the proposed project would extend the recovery and beneficial use of landfill gas and thereby help meet California’s renewable energy goals.

This Draft EIR is being circulated for a 45-day review/comment period from to May 15, 2014. It is available for review on the City’s website and at each of the following locations during normal business hours until May 15, 2014: Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, 1955 Workman Mill Road in Whittier; City of Glendale Planning Department, 633 E. Broadway, Room 103 in Glendale and the Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard St. Glendale.

All comments must be submitted in writing to the Sanitation Districts (Attention: Ms. Debra Bogdanoff) at 1955 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA 90601 or by email at sclfeir@lacsd.org no later than May 15. Any comments provided should identify specific environmental concerns related to the proposed project. For those who have any questions or need additional information, call Debra Bogdanoff at (562) 908-4288, extension 2734.