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Almaden Valley, Calif., Residents Upset at Volume of Waste Truck Traffic 29352
By their count, an average of 451 trucks hauled garbage from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily over a recent six-day period.
2 Min Read
Residents in Almaden Valley, Calif., are concerned about the volume of waste trucks that pass through the city on their way to a landfill on Guadalupe Mines Road. It’s already a well trafficked route. By their count, an average of 451 trucks hauled garbage from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily over a recent six-day period.
And the volume is set to increase due to a plan to have Milipitas’ waste also headed to the facility.
The town voted to dispose of the city's trash at Waste Management's Guadalupe Recycling and Disposal Facility. This happened after issues with the Newby Island Landfill.
Milpitas, Calif., hired a law firm back in February 2015 to potentially sue the operator of the site. A few days later, Republic Services of Santa Clara County formed the South Bay Odor Coalition to diminish the impacts to surrounding cities.
At the same time, the San Jose Planning Commission continued to delay its decision regarding the proposed expansion. Milpitas, in March of last year, filed an appeal over the expansion plans and in April declared the landfill a public nuisance. (It was later denied.)
In May, another delay came until a study of the landfills odors could be completed.
Lastly, in December, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Peter Kirwan on Dec. 11 tentatively approved a settlement in a class action suit involving the landfill. The settlement was finalized in June.
According to the final settlement agreement, Republic Services of Santa Clara County will have to take remediation measures to reduce the landfill’s odor. The settlement does not call for a full landfill closure.
The San Jose Mercury News has the latest:
The count was prompted by a 20-year contract Waste Management Inc. won from Milpitas to dispose of the city's garbage at the company's Guadalupe Recycling and Disposal Facility.
Waste Management plans to haul 22 to 37 truckloads of waste each weekday to the landfill, starting in September 2017.
More than 6,000 San Jose residents--many of them worried about environmental damage, increased traffic congestion, lower property values and unpleasant odors--have signed an online petition opposing the arrangement between Waste Management and Milpitas.
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