What would you say if in one day you added 31 years to your life and were given a plan to make the most of the rest of your years? It sounds like a good day - and it was for the Frank R. Bowerman (FRB) Landfill. On August 15, 2006 the Board of Supervisors certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR) 604 which analyzed the environmental impacts of the site’s revised Master Development Plan that remediates the effects of the 2002 landslide and extends the life of FRB Landfill through approximately 2053.

Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine

It started in 1998, when the Integrated Waste Management Department (IWMD) began a strategic planning project to assess Orange County’s existing waste disposal system capabilities and develop viable long-range solid waste disposal options for the County. This project is named Regional Landfill Options for Orange County, or RELOOC. The purpose of the RELOOC project is to provide for the long-term solid waste disposal needs of the residents of Orange County for the next 40 years in the most safe and cost-effective manner.

One very important component of the RELOOC Strategic Plan proposes an expansion of the FRB Landfill to maximize site capacity. The philosophy is to make the most of Orange County’s valuable existing resource - our landfills. IWMD began work on this RELOOC component in May of 2005 when it commissioned the contract for the EIR study. Now the project celebrates a major milestone with the Board’s approval and certification of EIR 604.

• The project includes:
  

  •	Phased vertical and horizontal expansions of FRB
  •	An increase in disposal capacity of 104 million cubic yards that will extend the life of the landfill to 2053
  •	An annual average tons per day of 8,500 (current permit limit) with a daily cap of 11,500 tons
  •	A Soil Management Plan that preserves adjacent canyons by stockpiling operational soil on-site
  •	A habitat component to ensure that plant and animal habitat continue to be planned for and protected

  
  
• The expansion of the FRB Landfill is important for many reasons. County residents and businesses generate nearly 4 million tons of waste per year that is disposed of in the County landfill system. The FRB Landfill is one of the three landfills that provide for the County’s solid waste disposal needs. To ensure County waste disposal needs are met within Orange County, it is critical to carefully evaluate the existing landfills and use them as effectively as possible. By doing this, IWMD will preserve and utilize the County’s three-landfill system to maximize local control over disposal capacity, cost and environmental impacts. The result is a competitive gate fee that is lower than most in the Southern California region.

After public review, EIR 604 was considered and approved by the Planning Commission on June 7, 2006, and the Board of Supervisors on August 15, 2006. In addition to certifying the EIR 604, the Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Irvine that will guide the landfill’s working relationship with the city through its closure in 2053.

Although August 15th was a landmark day for the project, FRB’s expansion is not quite ready to break ground. In order for implementation of the RELOOC FRB project to go ahead, IWMD must secure the necessary biological and landfill operating permits. The biological permits are required before IWMD can initiate the first phase in the project, the landslide backcut excavation, planned to start in summer of 2007. IWMD is also working closely with the Local Enforcement Agency on the approval of the Solid Waste Facilities Permit (SWFP). It is anticipated that these materials will be submitted to the California Integrated Waste Management Board in March 2007 and the approved SWFP received summer 2007.

Keep your eye on the Spotlight for future update on the FRB project, and how IWMD is making the most of Orange County’s valuable landfill resources.