Expansion approved for California landfill

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved a request to expand the Tajiguas Landfill in Goleta, California, the Santa Barbara Independent reports.

The board voted unanimously to expand the landfill by 14.25 acres and to a height of 650 feet above sea level, for an increase of 30 feet from the current permitted height. This increases the permitted total design capacity of the landfill from 23.3 million cubic yards to 29.4 million cubic yards.

The Tajiguas Landfill serves California’s South Coast and the Santa Ynez and New Cuyama Valleys and can process up to 1,500 tons of waste per day.

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Supervisor Das Williams expressed reservations for the alternatives to expansion, which include trucking waste to Chiquita Canyon landfill in Castaic or to Satna Maria, both of which would involve costly tipping fee increases as well as additional traffic and vehicle pollution.

Supervisor Laura Capps expressed the need for an educational program for residents aimed at waste reduction.

“In our county, we produce nine pounds of trash per person [each day]. For the average American, it’s 4.9 pounds,” Capps says. “Where’s the plan to reduce?”