AQMD changes save OC $5 million in landfill fees

South Coast AQMD rule changes and permit approvals saved Orange County taxpayers $5 million by allowing the county to use a faster composting system at its landfills, Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and Yorba Linda Mayor Carlos Rodriguez wrote in Voice of OC.

The changes matter because California SB 1383 requires cities and counties to reduce organic waste sent to landfills, while Orange County officials are trying to expand composting capacity and clear a permitting backlog tied to waste infrastructure.

Nguyen, an Orange County supervisor and South Coast AQMD Board of Directors member since 2025, and Rodriguez, Yorba Linda mayor and AQMD board member since 2020, wrote in Voice of OC that months of work with the air district led to approval of nine permits that had been stalled for two years.

According to Voice of OC, the approvals and related rule changes let Orange County move ahead with a Covered Aerated Static Pile composting system without paying $5 million in mitigation fees. The system uses specialized Teflon-style covers and pumped air to speed decomposition.

Nguyen and Rodriguez wrote that the system can cut composting time from six months to eight weeks. They also said it reduces emissions by 90%, an amount they compared with taking 40,000 vehicles off the road.

The officials wrote in Voice of OC that Orange County is still working with South Coast AQMD on 53 additional pending permits, some dating back six years. The backlog affects county waste and recycling projects, according to their account.

Voice of OC reported that AQMD awarded $756,000 in INVEST CLEAN funding for Level 3 chargers at Orange County's three active landfills. Nguyen and Rodriguez also wrote that OC Waste & Recycling may receive approximately $4 million in rebates through AQMD's upcoming TEAM program.

Nguyen and Rodriguez wrote that resolving the permit delays is part of a broader effort to modernize Orange County landfill operations while meeting state organic waste rules.