LANDFILLS IN AN EXPANSIVE MOOD COUNTY GENERATING MORE TRASH THAN DUMPS CAN ACCOMMODATE.

Byline: SUE DOYLE Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- With the hunt on to find fresh new places to dump Los Angeles County's 38,500 tons of coffee filters, chicken bones and other items tossed in the trash daily, some local landfills are aiming to expand.

It's one quick alternative that officials are turning to as refuse generated by the county's 9.9 million residents continues to pile up and the places to dispose of it dwindles.

With no new dumps in sight within county lines, officials are now seeking other options for the region's rubbish, from building landfills in nearby counties to thermal treatments that could turn the organic elements in trash into useful products.

``The waste is being generated and needs a place to go,'' said Carlos Ruiz, Los Angeles County Public Works assistant division engineer.

Trash weighs heavily among issues that the county faces. Northern Los Angeles County, considered the fastest-growing section, expects more than 300,000 new residents in the next 15 years.

Locally, the Antelope Valley Public Landfill wants to more than double the amount of trash that trucks deliver, and could grow from accepting 1,400 tons of rubbish each day to 3,600 tons.

Off state Route 126 west of Santa Clarita, Chiquita Canyon Disposal has a permit to use 257 of its 592 acres for trash. The Val Verde disposal facility hopes to expand an additional 98 acres for more disposal room.

If granted, the landfill would increase the overall volume of trash on its property. But the amount of garbage delivered there each day wouldn't change. It's currently authorized to accept 6,000 tons of trash every day.

``We have the capacity on our property here, and we're asking for the increase to accommodate growth in the region,'' said Mike Dean, general manager.

Although these local landfills could stave off some demand, they will do little to solve the county's overall need for more disposal room.

Since 2004, nearly 7,500 tons of the region's trash has been transferred each day to landfills in Orange and Riverside counties, because Los Angeles County has exceeded its capacity, Ruiz said.

The county also will take a heavy hit when its largest dump, Puente Hills Landfill, closes its doors permanently in 2013 when its permit runs out. This leaves officials looking at Sunshine Canyon Landfill as the region's next main player.

Working now on requirements for a change to its permit, the Granada Hills facility could soon accept up to 12,100 tons of trash each day as it expands toward Newhall. Still, it falls short of the 13,200 tons of rubbish that Puente Hills Landfill currently takes in today.

Meanwhile, plans to build a new landfill that will take the county's refuse are in the works -- in Imperial County. About 10,000 tons of the region's trash could be delivered to the Mesquite Regional Landfill by trains, Ruiz said.

And while that promises to provide some relief, Ruiz said that after 15 years of operations, the desert landfill could still fall short of Los Angeles County's trash needs.

``The new desert facility can only help us for so many years,'' he said.

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com

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