San Benito supervisors weigh landfill expansion, transfer station and alternative technologies as county landfill nears capacity

San Benito County supervisors heard a detailed update March 25 on the county's long-term solid-waste options, including a possible limited landfill expansion, constructing a local transfer station and further study of alternative technologies such as anaerobic digestion.

County solid-waste consultant Selena Stottler told the board that the John Smith Road Landfill currently has fewer than 13 years of remaining capacity and that state law (the Integrated Waste Management Act, AB 939) generally calls for counties to maintain about 15 years of disposal capacity. "The John Smith Road landfill has less than 13 years of remaining capacity," Stottler said during the presentation.

Why it matters: With the landfill's remaining life below the planning target, county officials said they need more complete cost and operations data so the board and public can weigh options ranging from a modest, in-county-only landfill expansion to building a county transfer station or participating in regional alternative-technology facilities.

What staff presented: County staff and the county's engineering consultant, Lewis Engineering, outlined two conceptual transfer-station layouts: one at the existing John Smith Road landfill entrance (a tight site with steep ramps and retaining walls) and a larger facility at the county's…