By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun

     CAMPO — That Campo landfill project, more than 15 years in the works, is gaining new momentum once again with the recent release of a notice of intent to create a supplemental environmental impact statement. The SEIS, though not required by the county or other governing entities, will update the original final EIS, created in 1992.
     “The county has numerous concerns about the impacts of the landfill facility and believes there are substantial changes in circumstances since 1992,” the county said in a Dec. 9 letter to Bureau of Indian Affairs. “These change will necessitate a comprehensive and thorough update of the EIS, including all new technical studies and analyses.”
According to BIA, the SEIS will address these changes.
     “The SEIS will incorporate the proposed project description from the FEIS by reference, and will discuss aspects of the project that have changed since the FEIS was released in 1992, and any changes in environmental impacts associated with those changes,” states the BIA’s Nov. 8 notice.
     Opposition to the Campo landfill has halted progress so far, due in great part to the group Back country Against Dumps (BAD), led by Boulevard resident Donna Tisdale. Tisdale is a co-founder of BAD, an organization dedicated to informing the public about landfill issues and to oppose siting a landfill in Campo.

It’s the water...
     The major concern for residents and those opposed to the landfill is that of groundwater. Most notable is the fact that this landfill will be located above the Campo/ Cottonwood Creek Sole Source Aquifer, Tisdale said, where area well water comes from. The Boulevard/Campo area has no access to imported water now and none is expected in the future, she added.
     Concerns raised by the county response include the rise in number of groundwater users in the area and the need for a California Certified hydrogeological study to address on- and off-reservation impacts.
     According to John Rydzik, Chief of Environmental and Cultural Resources for BIA, the SEIS will begin almost immediately after the notice review period has passed. The original deadline set for public comment was Dec. 9, but, due to the lack of public notice, and complaints from Back Country Against Dumps, the date was pushed back. A new deadline has not been determined yet.

The landfill site
     The landfill lease area is located at the southern end of the Campo Reservation, approximately 60 miles from San Diego. The entire lease area encompasses 1,150 acres, the landfill footprint, the proposed composting area and materials, recovery facility require 600 acres.
     This site could see 3,000 tons of trash per day; 1,095,000 tons of disposal per year; up to its total capacity of 29.5 million tons. The estimated site life is 31.5 years.
     “Once closed, the landfill will continue to stew and spew noxious gases and toxic liquids into our air and water for many decades into the future,” reads the BAD web site.
     The plan is for a Class III (municipal solid waste) landfill but will be designed to Class I (hazardous waste) standards, proponents say.
     The tribe has stated that, “hazardous waste is prohibited by tribal and federal regulations. In addition, the lease agreement and the cooperative agreement with the State of California do not allow hazardous waste disposal.”
     A dual liner system is proposed for the site, with a leachate collection and removal system. An underlying leak detection system is also proposed. Leachate is the toxic “soup” from decomposing garbage at a landfill site. It is a contaminated liquid that can seep into the groundwater and pose a threat to domestic wells.
     The United States Environmental Protection Agency has said that all liners eventually leak due to damage, failed seams, and deterioration.
     “When this one fails it will leak into our highly fractured bedrock aquifer,” Tisdale said. “Contaminents will then travel through water-bearing fractures to domestic wells at unknown rates and in unknown directions.”

What now?
     Tisdale said BAD and other groups will lobby against the landfill when the issue comes before the Bureau if Indian Affairs or the Secretary of the Interior, who has jurisdiction in this case. Once the SEIS is completed, there will be another chance for the public and county to comment on the project and question study outcomes.
     “At this point, we believe that decision will be made at the regional office of the BIA,” reads the BAD web site. “We are trying to block that approval.”
     Another argument is whether or not there is even a need for a new landfill site in San Diego County.
     “We know that trash will not come from San Diego,” Tisdale said. “There’s no need for this.”
     The city has its own landfill at Miramar and the county just approved the draft of its updated Integrated Waste Management Summary and Siting Element. The Campo Landfill was purposely excluded from those plans because there is no need for it. The county can meet its 15 year disposal capacity that is required by the state, without the Campo landfill.
     Recent talks about a new landfill in San Diego County brought rumors of Los Angeles trash being transported here, though both the City and the County of Los Angeles say they have no plans or agreements with BLT to dispose of their waste at Campo.
     “This leads to the big question,” the BAD web site says. “Where is the need for this landfill and who will commit to send their trash here?”
     The county response also questioned whether the site is needed, seeing as demand does not require a new landfill and there have been new locations opened since the original EIS. The county alluded to rubbish being brought in from areas east, seeing as new rail lines and trucking routes have since been established.
     The trash contracts that BLT will need to make this project economically feasible have not been disclosed. 

History of the landfill
     In 1978, the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians developed a plan that designated the proposed landfill site for industrial development. Initially, several types of landfills were considered, up to and including, hazardous waste facilities. These were rejected in the preliminary review process as a protective measure to minimize the potential risks of groundwater contamination.
     In 1989, the Campos began the scoping process with U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs as the lead agency.
     “The Band involved the public at the earliest stage of the process,” states the tribe’s Web site.
     The Campos advertised across the country and selected Mid American Waste Systems to develop and operate the facility. In 1990, the Campo Environmental Protection Agency was created to regulate the landfill to standards adopted by the tribe.
     By 1994, Mid American Waste was declared in default when it stopped paying royalties to the tribe of $135,000 per month. The lease with the band was dissolved.
     In 2000, the Campos began to make inquiries and hold discussions with various companies on the prospect of partnering with the band to develop the project.
     In December 2001, the general council of the Campo band voted to reaffirm its support for the landfill project to continue. Since then, BLT, Inc. has emerged as the preferred partner for the project.
     The band signed a new lease in December 2004 with BLT, Inc. re-opening the door to construction of the landfill project in Boulevard.
     Learn more at:
  Tribal landfill gets new lease on life
  Campo Kumeyaay

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