A Brief History

Orange County was formally organized as a separate county, apart from Los Angeles, in 1889. The area was predominately rural with agriculture being the single most important industry in the County. According to the US Census Bureau, the population of Orange County was 130,760 people in 1940.

As time passed, Orange County’s population began to grow and shift from rural to urban communities. As rural communities, solid waste disposal had not been an issue. Farms and townspeople commonly composted organic wastes and recycled the majority of items. As populations became more dense in urban areas, space for composting by private individuals became less available. With industrialization, goods became less expensive and more disposable. Local ordinances began to appear regulating where solid waste could be disposed. At the time, waste disposal facilities that did exist were either privately owned or were owned and operated by individual cities.

The County of Orange and Solid Waste Disposal

Bringing the solid waste disposal facilities under County responsibility allowed for a single, uniform solid waste disposal system. (Click here for an Evolution of Municipal Solid Waste Landfills.)

“The County assumed solid waste disposal responsibility in 1946. It initially operated a few burning dumps offering free disposal service to discourage indiscriminate dumping along the roadways. As the County population grew, the need for long range planning became increasingly evident. That planning effort culminated in the Master Plan of Refuse Disposal adopted in 1959.

This plan identified the long term needs of the County and demonstrated that a combined system of transfer and disposal stations was essential to serve the long term disposal requirement of the County.

At that early date the needs could be foreseen. However, the increasing technical and legal complexity of disposal was not evident. The air pollution control movement led to phasing out of the burning dumps, but many wastes could still be disposed of in the sewer system and ultimately to the oceans. The Clean Water Act drastically curtailed disposal to the waterways leaving disposal to land as the primary means of disposal. That is the situation that exists today.”

The above paragraphs were taken from a January 1980 Supplement to a County Board of Supervisors letter – A Status Report on Orange County’s Solid Waste Management System. However brief, the report is an accurate description of the waste disposal system when the County assumed operations.

Today

Since the responsibility for solid waste management became a part of the County of Orange infrastructure, oversight of the disposal system has been under various County agencies. For a time the disposal system was operated by the Environmental Management Agency, and later moved to the General Services Agency. These two agencies oversaw more than just solid waste disposal. In March 1990, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the formation of a separate waste management agency. That agency is known today as the Integrated Waste Management Department (IWMD). IWMD currently:

• Operates three open and active County-owned landfills,

• Manages four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers (HHWCC),

• Administers County unincorporated area waste collection and recycling,

• Maintains two closed landfills,

• Monitors various former disposal facilities,

• Administers the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan.

Orange County’s Landfill System

The County of Orange owns and operates three landfills. Collectively, they are referred to as the Landfill System. These landfills accept municipal solid waste (trash) and are managed by the Integrated Waste Management Department (IWMD). IWMD has received the following awards for their operations.

• Cal/EPA Household Hazardous Waste/Used Oil Collection Program Award, 2003 Best New E-Waste Collection Program

• Solid Waste Association of North America, 2000 Gold Excellence Award for Planning and Financial Management

Olinda Alpha Landfill

This landfill opened in 1960 and is located near the City of Brea. (Please click on the above link for current information.) Originally, the landfill was named Olinda Landfill, after the canyon in which it was located, the Olinda Canyon.

Olinda is a Portuguese word, which is a name of a city established in Brazil in 1535. The name itself does not have a true meaning. It is said to have originated in the exclamation of the hereditary captain Duarte Coelho, on gazing at the magnificent vista that unfolded before him from the spot he had chosen for the foundation of the town in Brazil. Olinda!!!

Alpha came about due to two canyons located next to the Olinda Landfill. Known as Canyon A and Canyon B, they were referred to by site staff as Alpha and Beta. When the landfill expanded into Canyon A in 1981, the landfill was renamed Olinda Alpha Landfill.

The Olinda Alpha Landfill received the 2001 Landfill Management Excellence Bronze Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America.

Prima Deshecha Landfill

The Prima Deshecha Landfill opened in 1976. (Please click on the above link for current information.) It is located near the cities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. This landfill was named for the canyon in which it is located, the Prima Deshecha Cañada, Spanish for First Rough Canyon.

Early Spanish explorers named the canyon. Gaspar de Portolá’s land expedition, which included Father Junipero Serra, established Mission San Juan Capistrano during their exploration of the area in the late 1700s. Gaspar de Portolá is accredited for naming most of the predominant geographic features in South Orange County.

The canyon was so named because as the conquistador traveled south from Mission San Juan Capistrano it was the first rough canyon encountered.

Frank R. Bowerman Landfill

The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill opened in 1990. (Please click on the above link for current information.) It is located near the City of Irvine. It was originally named Bee Canyon Landfill. This landfill was named for the canyon in which it is located, Bee Canyon, a location formerly used by beekeepers.

The name was changed to honor Frank R. Bowerman after his retirement from the County of Orange. Frank R. Bowerman was the first Director of IWMD and Chief Engineer of the Bee Canyon Landfill planning and development project.

The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill has received recognition from the following professional organizations:

• Solid Waste Association of North America 1991 Landfill Excellence Award
• 1991 American Society of Civil Engineers, Project of the Year Award
• 1990 National Association of Counties, Achievement Award

Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP)

In 1989, the California Legislature enacted the California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939). AB 939 was passed with the goal of decreasing the waste stream in order to save decreasing landfill space. AB 939 mandated a 25 percent reduction of waste being disposed of in the landfill system by the year 1995 and a 50 percent reduction by the year 2000. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) was established in Sacramento to oversee waste disposal reduction efforts in the various jurisdictions. The first step was for each California County to prepare and submit a Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) to the CIWMB.

The CIWMP consists of many parts. Each city in the County and the County unincorporated area has several planning documents that outline their proposals for waste diversion methods, including:

• Siting Element – A document that provides a description of the areas to be used for development of adequate transformation of disposal capacity.

• Summary Plan – A document that provides the following:
o Goals and objectives
o County (City) profile and plan administration
o Description of current solid waste management practices
o Summary of the Source Reduction and Recycling Elements (SRRE’s)
o Summary of the Household Hazardous Waste Elements (HHWE’s)
o Summary of the Nondisposal Facility Elements (NDFE’s)
o CIWMP financing

• Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE’s) - The SRRE’s include a waste generation study and the following components:
o Source reduction
o Recycling
o Composting
o Disposal facility capacity
o Education and public information
o Funding
o Special waste
o Integration

• Nondisposal Facility Elements (NDFE’s) – The NDFE’s identify the nondisposal facilities to be used to assist in reaching AB 939 diversion mandates. “Nondisposal facility” includes:
o Material Recovery Facilities
o Transfer stations
o Large-scale composting facilities
o Other waste processing or recycling facilities that require a solid waste facility permit

• Household Hazardous Waste Elements
o HHW collection centers and events

All of these planning documents must be kept current and are submitted to the CIWMB for approval and acceptance. The entity assigned with the task of overseeing the submittal of these documents is the County of Orange, Waste Management Commission/Local Task Force.    back to CIWMP

Waste Management Commission/Local Task Force

The Waste Management Commission is an 18-member advisory body to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors established the Waste Management Commission on July 13, 1982. When AB 939 was implemented, the Orange County Board of Supervisors appointed IWMD’s Waste Management Commission as the Local Task Force responsible for overseeing the CIWMP planning documents.

Members of the Waste Management Commission are selected in the following ways:
The Orange County Division, League of California Cities selects five members, each to a three-year term. The appointee must be an elected official. One representative is elected from each Supervisorial district.
Each Supervisor appoints two public members to a two-year term, making ten of the eighteen members. Each appointee must reside in Orange County, and may not be a representative of the waste industry.

The President of the Orange County Division, League of California Cities or any elected city official is designated to a three-year term.

The Orange County Division, League of California Cities appoints one City Manager to a three-year term.
The Director of the Integrated Waste Management Department, or his or her designee, is a non-voting member of the Commission.

Landfill Regulations and Environmental Protection

Federal and state regulations ensure that landfill operations minimize impacts to public health and safety, and the environment. An important part of IWMD’s mission is to apply sound environmental practices to ensure compliance with these regulations.

Landfill operations are highly regulated. IWMD is required to comply with Federal, State and Local regulations enforced by Regulatory Agencies. The main regulatory body for landfills is the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). The County of Orange Health Care Agency’s Environmental Health Division is the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) for the CIWMB.

In addition to the CIWMB and the LEA, the South Coast Air Quality Management District enforces air quality regulations, and the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Santa Ana and San Diego regions enforce water quality regulations. IWMD also operates under agreements with the cities that host a landfill. These agreements between cities and the County address local issues, such as landfill operating hours, traffic routes, and the maximum amount of trash received daily. In addition to the above-referenced permits, certain projects may fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game.

IWMD evaluates all projects for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This ensures that any project which could have an impact on the environment is fully analyzed, and that any impacts are mitigated to the fullest extent possible.

Natural Community Conservation Planning in Orange County

Orange County has a variety of wildlife and plant species to be found in many of our back yards or in the nearby canyons. Only some of the wildlife that can be seen are opossums, desert cottontail, skunks, raccoons, coyotes, mule deer, and packrats. The primary native vegetation in the area is coastal sage scrub, named for the community of low-growing, fragrant shrubs and other plants that blanket the hillsides and canyons of the county.

IWMD is committed to protecting the environment while providing for safe and sanitary solid waste disposal for Orange County residents. As part of this commitment, IWMD participates in County-wide environmental protection programs to preserve natural habitats.

The Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) program began in 1991 under the State’s Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. The County Of Orange implemented an NCCP/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) in 1996 in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) who are responsible for implementing the California and Federal Endangered Species Acts.

The NCCP program is a cooperative effort to protect habitats and species. The primary objective of the NCCP program is to allow for the protection and continuation of endangered species in a manner compatible with local development and economic growth.

Oversight of the NCCP/HCP at Orange County landfills is provided by The Nature Reserve of Orange County (NROC). Created in 1996, NROC is a collaborative, multi-agency effort that plays a vital role in ensuring the long-term conservation of the County’s sensitive resources.

IWMD participates in the NCCP/HCP program and works closely with NROC in ensuring that local habitat is protected.

The Future of Solid Waste Disposal

Orange County is fortunate that there is adequate landfill space within the County. Existing County landfills have many years of life remaining. The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill is scheduled to close in 2022, the Olinda Alpha Landfill will remain open until 2013, and the life of the Prima Deshecha Landfill was recently extended to 2067. These closure dates may seem to reach far into the future, but may ultimately be affected by changing population densities, increased environmental oversight, or changes in technology.

Regional Landfill Options for Orange County (RELOOC)

Long-range strategic planning is necessary to ensure that the County’s municipal solid waste is safely disposed of and that future disposal needs are met. The RELOOC program is Orange County’s long-range planning tool.

RELOOC, an acronym for “Regional Landfill Options for Orange County,” is a 40-year strategic planning process. The purpose of RELOOC is to evaluate options for municipal solid waste disposal for Orange County residents. The goals of RELOOC include:

• To have a feasible, balanced and flexible 40-year strategic plan that addresses Orange County’s solid waste disposal and capacity needs.

• To protect Orange County’s public health, safety and environment.

• To sustain the economic viability of Orange County’s solid waste disposal system by ensuring consistent and reliable fee/rates and adequate revenue to maintain efficient, cost effective, high quality operations.

• To provide a fair, objective, open, planning process.

Learn more about IWMD’s long-range planning by clicking on the RELOOC link above.

Our Future is Today

Reduce, reuse, recycle – This slogan is still being used today because it works.

Our best plan is what Orange County residents and businesses already practice - diverting our waste from the landfills and removing recyclables from the waste stream. For Orange County to meet future disposal needs it is essential that we all purchase recycled products, create demand for new recycling technologies, and reduce the amount of every-day waste we create. Although millions of tons of waste have already been diverted from our landfills, millions of tons more can be diverted and the life of the landfills extended through continued use of these methods.

Waste is a part of everyone’s daily life and waste disposal is a part of our foreseeable future. The more we recycle, the less we bury, and the more we will be able to protect and preserve Orange County.