Local News in Brief : Remote Dumping Studied

Hauling trash from the San Gabriel Valley to remote disposal sites in the Southern California desert by rail would raise trash collection costs for homeowners by one-third to one-half but is technically feasible and offers a “potential solution” to the area’s waste disposal problems, according to a new study.

A report by the Southern California Assn. of Governments prepared for the San Gabriel Valley Assn. of Cities says it would cost $29 to $41 per ton to haul trash to remote areas and dispose of it there, contrasted with the current average dumping charge at local landfills of $10.21 per ton. But the report warns that community opposition is making it increasingly difficult to keep dumps open in urban areas, and unless the Puente Hills landfill is expanded or waste-to-energy plants are built, the San Gabriel Valley will begin running out of disposal sites for its trash by the mid-1990s.

The report recommends that San Gabriel Valley cities designate an agency to solicit waste-hauling proposals from private contractors and begin talking to elected officials from remote areas about their willingness to accept shipments of waste.