The Salton City Landfill’s disposal area and its permitted height were increased by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday in a move that brings at least $500,000 revenue a year along with increased truck traffic into the county.
With the expansion, this landfill owned by the county but leased to Burrtec Industries for a yearly fee will go from having some 8 acres of available disposal area to approximately 287 acres.
In addition, the permitted height of the landfill will increase from 45 feet to 250 feet above the ground. The landfill’s life was also extended 30 years.
This expansion received the county Planning Commission’s blessing about a year ago, however since then the project faced a number of appeals.
Air quality concerns were raised from the South Coast Air Quality Management District over truck pollution and transportation concerns were raised by Riverside County.
Moreover, impacts to local fire and emergency services were raised by the Salton Community Services District; and lastly, a resident appealed over improper notification to Salton City residents.
“I had no notification; people in my area had no notification. This is not a housing project; this is a massive dump system,” said Salton City resident Mark Stapleton during the public hearing.
Stapleton also asked the board for additional resources for the Salton Community Services District and suggested that a new ambulance and money be donated to the district.
“The liabilities that are going to occur will occur because of the landfill,” he said after noting truck traffic in the area will increase considerably.
According to the final environmental impact report, truck traffic into the area could eventually reach 500 trips per day.
And it is in fact traffic that prompted Riverside County to appeal to the project, as it called for mitigation funds over the trash haulers that would impact their streets when traveling from Orange County and Los Angeles.
But just like the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Riverside County’s concerns were accommodated ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
Burrtec committed to use newer trucks to lower emissions, said Planning Director Armando Villa. Moreover, the company agreed to pay mitigation funds to Riverside over impacts to its intersections and roads.
Still, Riverside officials present at the meeting asked for a continuance to review the conditions offered, a request the board denied with its unanimous approval of the project.
It should be noted that during the vote, supervisors also committed to address funding concerns of the Salton Community Services District.
But before any vote of approval was taken, Supervisor Gary Wyatt voiced his opinion on the impacts raised by Riverside.
“(In) rural counties we know well about impacts. We get them all the time from urban areas,” he said adding “never once have you heard any of us come to talk about mitigating the impacts from urban areas.”
Trucks that supply urban areas come through the border and through the county to populate stores, Wyatt said, “and we (don’t) get any mitigation from any intersection or roads.”
Here are three things that happened at Tuesday’s meeting
1 - A resolution in support of the Imperial Valley Desert Museum and its effort to obtain approval from the Bureau of Land Management to curate local artifacts was approved by the board.
2 - An audit report on the Citrus Pest Control District for July 2011 to June 2012 was approved by the board. The audit shows the district continues struggling for funds.
3 - A continuance of local emergency resolution over the July 13 storm was approved by the board.
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
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