Air District fines West Contra Costa landfill $160K for violations
RICHMOND – The operator of a shuttered landfill in Contra Costa County has been fined more than $150,000 for failing to properly contain gases from the facility, officials announced Monday.
According to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Republic Services is being fined for issues at the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill in Richmond in 2019. While the landfill has been closed since 2007, the company is required to continuously operate the facility's landfill gas collection system.
Officials issued 13 notices of violation for well and surface leaks, positive pressure, visible emissions, an inoperative gas collection system and other violations.
"In addition to the negative impact on air quality in the surrounding community, the methane in landfill gas is a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change," said Dr. Philip Fine, the agency's executive officer. "It's critically important that facility system components are properly maintained to ensure that local air quality and the global climate remain protected."
According to the EPA, landfills are the third largest human-generated source of methane emissions in the U.S. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.