SCS Engineers Supporting Santa Cruz County Public Works with Transfer Stations and Composting Facilities

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Santa Cruz County in California owns and operates the Buena Vista Landfill, which will reach capacity in approximately eight to ten years. The County's Department of Public Works hired SCS Engineers to design, permit, bid, and provide construction engineering for two transfer stations and a composting facility at the landfill. As the facilities become operational, they will be the County's primary waste management system.

Santa Cruz County is using a master plan to manage waste now and into the future by setting in motion these three facilities to meet California regulatory policy and transition away from using the Buena Vista Landfill. Transferring waste before reaching capacity enables the County to extend the life of its landfill by several years without disrupting current operations. 

A composting facility will be located on a closed portion of the landfill, well away from the active face. Once open, diverting organic materials from the landfill to become compost will help lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide a useful product.

The County's master planning determined that 600 tons per day should meet long-term waste collection needs. A single transfer station's footprint, large enough to manage this volume, will not fit well on the landfill. Instead, SCS will provide dual transfer stations, splitting incoming residential and commercial traffic into two facilities.

Each transfer station will have a tipping floor, a half tunnel for loading, office space, locker rooms, and additional space for bulk storage. Bulk storage enables the County to eliminate stockpiling operations atop the landfill – eliminating unessential traffic to this area.

About SCS Engineers

SCS Engineers' environmental solutions directly result from our experience and dedication to industries responsible for safeguarding the environment as they deliver services and products. For information about our transfer station and composting design and operations teams in your region, contact [email protected], or visit us online.