Residents seek air monitoring as South OC landfill intake plan stalls

Residents near the Prima Deshecha Landfill in southern Orange County are seeking independent air monitoring after reporting increased dust from expansion work, according to Voice of OC. A separate proposal to double the landfill’s daily trash intake ceiling remains on hold following complaints.

The dispute comes as Orange County prepares to redirect waste from the Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea, which is scheduled to close by 2036. Residents want existing air quality concerns addressed before Prima Deshecha is allowed to accept more trash.

County leaders have approved the landfill’s physical expansion, which involves blasting hillsides and excavating soil, Voice of OC reported. That construction is distinct from the paused proposal to increase the daily intake limit. The landfill receives about 2,600 tons a day, below its existing ceiling of 4,000 tons.

Residents said dust has accumulated on their homes, outdoor areas and air filters since expansion work began. Ellen Vinck, head of the Rancho San Juan Homeowners Association board, said the dust has increased association expenses, including costs for storm drain repairs, according to Voice of OC.

Anika Atkins, a San Juan Capistrano resident, said she was diagnosed with asthma and hospitalized with atypical pneumonia within two months of moving there in May. The report does not establish that landfill operations caused her illnesses.

OC Waste and Recycling said it uses three water trucks to spray 200,000 gallons daily to control dust. Francine Bangert, a spokesperson for the agency, said staff continue to assess site conditions and the effectiveness of dust controls. The agency has also considered additional misting systems, Voice of OC reported.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, San Juan Capistrano and the California Department of Transportation have sought more clarity about the expansion’s impacts. Hundreds of residents wrote county officials earlier in the year about the proposed expansion and existing conditions, according to Voice of OC.

Waste from Olinda Alpha is to be sent to Prima Deshecha and the Bowerman Landfill in Irvine as the Brea site heads toward closure, according to Voice of OC. Residents are seeking third-party air monitoring before any intake increase; the next date for county supervisors to discuss the proposal remains unclear.