Board OKs five-year landfill monitoring contract as county outlines $3.1 million solid-waste shortfall

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors on June 17 approved a five-year contract with Geologic Logistics for required groundwater monitoring and compliance testing at the county's landfill sites and heard a presentation detailing a growing structural shortfall in the county solid-waste program.

County staff said the monitoring contract is a regulatory requirement and that testing frequency and related costs vary year-to-year; the board approved the contract by a 4-0 vote (motion by Supervisor Peggy Price, second by Supervisor Ryan Kelly). "What you have before you today, is a regulatory requirement," an operations lead said during the presentation.

The board was presented with a multi-part account of landfill costs, including operations and maintenance, capital closure costs, 30-year post-closure maintenance obligations, debt service and regulatory monitoring. Staff told the board the landfill program carries roughly $700,000 in annual debt payments and that the program has added about $3.1 million to the fund deficit over the last two years. The shortfall contributed to the county's recent bond-rating downgrade.

Staff described how waste volumes to county-run sites have fallen from decades ago and how a single private operator on a long-term lease brings in much larger volumes than the county sites. County-run sites, which include a transfer station and two landfills in Niland and Calexico, now receive roughly 4,500 tons of waste per year in total, while a contracted vendor under a long-term lease brings in about 5,000 tons every two weeks, staff said.

Officials said landfill tipping fees have not been updated in decades (staff estimated the last fee changes were probably in the 1980s) and that a consultant-conducted rate study is underway. The goal is to have an adopted fee schedule within the next 8 to 12 months; any newly adopted rates would not take effect until August 2026 under the county's procedural timeline. Staff also described state regulatory changes (SB 1383) that require additional program work and noted cities face similar cost pressures.

To reduce costs, staff said the department has closed some sites, scaled operations, reduced testing where allowable, reduced haul counts and is exploring franchise hauling agreements with private haulers; those franchise arrangements could come into play in 2027. Board members asked for a corrective-action plan and timeline: Supervisor Ryan Kelly asked that the department return with a plan at the board's July meeting; staff agreed to present a detailed corrective-action plan by July 15.

The approved Geologic Logistics contract covers monitoring of landfill wells across the county and runs five years; staff noted one contract year requires substantially more testing than others because of a regulatory requirement. The motion to enter the contract passed 4-0 (motion by Price; second by Kelly). No dissenting votes were recorded.

Board members and staff warned that any long-term solution will require public outreach and cooperation across departments, including General Services and the CEO's office, because rate increases and franchise changes would affect residents and haul providers. Supervisor Martha Cardenas Singh emphasized outreach to curb illegal dumping and to advertise available landfill dates and times in remote communities.

The board directed staff to return with specific corrective actions and options at the July 15 meeting so supervisors can weigh implementation steps and timelines.