State officials confirm subterranean fire at C&D landfill; DEQ issues NOV and compliance order

Jalen Knudson, assistant director in the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and Brian Spear, manager of the division’s Solid Waste Section, briefed the Washington City Council and residents on Nov. 12 about ongoing odor and health complaints stemming from the local construction-and-demolition (C&D) landfill.

"We have confirmed there is a subterranean fire at the landfill," Spear told the council, summarizing state investigations that included drone overflights, overnight monitoring and a multiagency response. He traced the timeline from an initial on-site fire event in late June to increased community odor reports in August and a detection of smoke when landfill crews dug into the working face on Oct. 28.

Spear said DEQ issued a notice of violation and compliance order to the landfill on Nov. 10, 2025. The order requires the landfill, within 30 days, to submit a written statement detailing the cause, corrective actions with dates, a prevention plan and a fire-response plan that lists reporting intervals, monitoring requirements and milestones for investigating and extinguishing the subterranean smoldering. Once DEQ approves the fire-response plan, the landfill must begin implementation within seven days.

Council members and staff pressed DEQ on odor mitigation and public-health protections. Spear said the agency has suggested monitoring and that odor-mitigation measures will be part of the required plan. On testing, he said the AV fifth civil support team and other agencies conducted technical sampling during response actions; DEQ will require the landfill to describe specific air-monitoring actions to protect human health in its plan.

On enforcement, Spear said the next steps could include a stipulated consent order and penalties handled through the courts if necessary. He added that the director cannot unilaterally impose monetary penalties without further legal steps; those decisions are part of a later enforcement stage.

Residents and council members described impacts on quality of life and out-of-pocket costs (air purifiers, disrupted daily life). Councilman Ivy urged an aggressive and communicative approach to ensure neighbors get timely information and relief. DEQ staff said they will share the technical reports with the city and the community and will work with the landfill as it develops the fire-response plan.

The compliance order is a regulatory requirement; the landfill must submit plans and milestones within 30 days of the order and begin implementing the approved plan within seven days of approval.