Landfills
Cedar Hills Regional Landfill - it must close!
920 acres, with a 1000’ buffer around the border to protect the surround communities.
Click on image to enlarge
Cedar Hills Regional Landfill (CHRLF) has negatively affected surrounding communities for decades. If the current expansion proposal is approved, the continuous cumulative significant impacts will increase for another 20+ years.
The safest solution is to close…….
Since CHRLF will not monitor the air in surrounding communities for toxic chemicals, it is left up to the public to ensure their own safety.
CHRLF is one of the largest landfills on the West Coast. It’s 920 acres contains 3 large unlined pits from 1965-1985, and 7 lined pits from 1985 to present. Approximately 38 Million tons of garbage has been dumped there over the years. Nearly 1 million tons are added every year.
While King County’s CHRLF is “modernizing” and “meeting” regulations on the surface, there have been a considerable number of violations, failures and accidents over the years. It’s history is riddled with lawsuits, pollution, negligence and regulation exceedances. See the timeline for major events.
KCSWD simply cannot control the monster CHRLF has become and the plan is to grow it even more.
This landfill needs to close and no further waste operations be sited here, including a WTE plant on this or neighboring properties!
The size of this landfill creates a considerable amount if greenhouse gases in the form of methane. Recent drone measurements have recorded emission points far above regulation. Some landfill collection pipes have failed and vertical wells are being installed. In the meantime, where does the gas go? Just like water seeks an avenue down, gas seeks escape up. To see evidence of methane emissions, see the Gallery page.
Legacy Landfills
Click on picture to enlarge.
Small landfills dot the landscape all over the county and state. Most are closed, unlined and many have been forgotten. However, their “legacy” is the toxins they’ve left behind. One can see the evidence in the leachate leaks or “pop out’s” of red goo (iron oxidizing bacteria -FeOB) that surfaces in areas around such legacy landfills. It is a stark reminder that although a landfill may be covered, planted with grass or trees - out of sight out of mind - their environmental impact will be felt for years to come.
The red goo is an indication of contamination.
It is a warning sign. These pop outs are just a small indication of what lies beneath. How much contamination is leaching into the water table and aquifers below? How widespread is it?
These areas must be tested for harmful substances, above and beyond what “regulations” require. There are hundreds of unregulated substances that are known to be harmful, possibly forever toxic chemicals, and are not part of the agency testing protocols.
These areas must be cleaned up. They cannot be allowed to continue to contaminate our environment!
2 red goo (FeOB) pop outs found in the area, so far.
Red Goo near Cedar River, below reclamation site.
More red goo around one of the older landfills.
One of many red goo areas found in legacy landfills.
Red Goo on Cougar Mountain near the Newcastle Golf Course - previous site of a landfill.
What is the problem with landfills?
Landfills are a source of pollution and contamination for our air, water and soil.
Why do we continue to bury our garbage? It is perceived as the most economical process. However, the cost analysis never takes into account the cost to the environment and to human health. How much does it truly cost to continue to bury our garbage?
How do landfills pollute? With increased technology, liners, gas collection, leachate collection, etc., it should be safe, right?
It would appear that way. But even the most modern landfills have deficiencies.
They all leak gas. No matter how good the gas collection system, or how good the liners and top covers are - they WILL leak landfill gas. Fugitive gas. This gas contains methane and all the Toxic Air Pollutants (TAP) that go along with landfills and WILL be released into the atmosphere.
Collection pipes get clogged
Collection pipes break
Liners leak leachate. Since 1985, all landfill pits are required to have some sort of liner system.
Per the EPA - Composite liners requirements—include a flexible membrane (i.e., geo-membrane) overlaying two feet of compacted clay soil lining the bottom and sides of the landfill. However, the EPA claims ALL liners will fail at some point in time. Studies have shown, even with the HDPE liners, tears and leaks will occur.
Leachate collection systems are not foolproof. Pipes get clogged, break, leachate leaks and blowouts can occur if collection systems aren’t working well and can’t keep up with the amount of water building up in the cell.
Leachate ponds can overflow. Outflow pipes can break, spilling leachate into the environment. This occurred at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in 2011 and spilled 200,000 gallons of leachate.
Let’s be clear - no landfill is foolproof against contamination of the environment, no matter how modern.