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In todays waste management systems, landfills are a necessary component, but if they are not adequately planned, managed, and monitored, they can also pose serious environmental and health problems. One of the biggest landfills in the United States is the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. However, like many other landfills, the Sunshine Canyon Landfill faces issues with environmental regulations and must adhere strictly to regulations in order to minimize consequences and safeguard public health. The main environmental regulation that has challenged the functioning of the facility was the stipulation of the air quality.
Overview
Los Angeles, California, is home to the Sunshine Canyon Landfill. It has a surface area of about 3,000 acres and is run by the Republic Services firm (Sunshine Canyon Landfill, n.d.). This Santa Susana Mountains-based landfill receives more than 9,000 tons of solid waste daily from Los Angeles and its environs (Sunshine Canyon Landfill, n.d.). Methane emissions are dynamic and influenced by the landfills topography and operational procedures.
Environmental Regulations
Concerning present environmental regulations, Sunshine Canyon Landfill has various problems. Methane emissions and odor complaints at Sunshine Canyon Landfill rose in 2016 (Cusworth et al., 2020). Methane is a significant greenhouse gas that, if released into the atmosphere, can cause climate change. The emissions of methane were at direct odds with the District Role 402 and California Health and Safety Code Section 41700, which prohibits them (AQMD, n.d.). As a result of the emission, an Order of Abatement was filled against the facility regarding the rising levels of methane (AQMD, n.d.). In addition, the neighborhood around the Sunshine Canyon Landfill has often voiced concerns about the facilitys effects after the increase in emissions. The resistance to the landfill in the neighborhood can be linked to many reasons, including worries about health risks, environmental pollution, and potential effects on neighborhood aesthetics and property values (Bacot et al., 1994). As a result, one of the primary concerns is the landfills potential to release hazardous gases and pollutants, which could have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of the populations locally.
The Sunshine Canyon Landfill Local Enforcement Agency has implemented several mechanisms to trap and manage methane emissions to assuage these concerns. Hence, different remediation initiatives were put in place on the intermediate slopes (Cusworth et al., 2020). As soon as the new system was installed, methane levels and odor concerns started to drop. Once numerous layers of waste were placed on top of them, vertical landfill gas wells were erected and connected to the gabion cubes (Cusworth et al., 2020). Sunshine Canyon Landfill tested a novel design innovation for waste cell building in order to maximize future landfill gas collection.
In addition, limitations on the kinds of waste that can be deposited at the landfill have been put in place, emphasizing cutting back on organic waste. Reducing the amount of organic waste in landfills can assist in lessening the environmental effects because it can be a substantial source of methane emissions (Yadav et al., 2023). These actions have generally been effective in lowering methane emissions from the Sunshine Canyon Landfill (Yadav et al., 2023). Meanwhile, local citizens and community organizations have argued for stricter rules and control of the landfills operations since they are still dubious about its efficacy.
Conclusion
As a substantial waste management facility that offers vital services to the Los Angeles area, The Sunshine Canyon Landfill also poses environmental concerns that call for careful management and control. To ensure that the landfill complies with and exceeds the current environmental laws, the issue of greenhouse gas emissions calls for constant attention and investment. The Sunshine Canyon Landfill can help ensure a more resilient and sustainable future for the communities and ecosystems it supports by putting a strong emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and continual improvement.
References
Bacot, H., Bowen, T., & Fitzgerald, M. R. (1994). Managing the solid waste crisis. Exploring the link between citizen attitudes, policy incentives, and siting landfills. Policy Studies Journal, 22(2), 229244. Web.
Cusworth, D. H., Duren, R. M., Thorpe, A. K., Tseng, E., Thompson, D., Guha, A., Newman, S., Foster, K. T., & Miller, C. E. (2020). Using remote sensing to detect, validate, and quantify methane emissions from California solid waste operations. Environmental Research Letters, 15(5), 054012. Web.
South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). (n.d.). Sunshine Canyon Landfill Hearing Board Activity. Web.
Sunshine Canyon Landfill (n.d.) About. Web.
Yadav, V., Verhulst, K., Duren, R., Thorpe, A., Kim, J., Keeling, R., Weiss, R., Cusworth, D., Mountain, M., Miller, C., & Whetstone, J. (2023). A declining trend of methane emissions in the Los Angeles basin from 2015 to 2020. Environmental Research Letters, 18(3), 034004. Web.
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